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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23717323">The Most Powerful Weapon...</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leefdoor/pseuds/Leefdoor'>Leefdoor</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dr. STONE (Anime), Dr. STONE (Manga)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Friendship, Gen, Manga Spoilers, Pre-America Arc, Suspense, Watching the Show</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 21:53:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>33,070</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23717323</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leefdoor/pseuds/Leefdoor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p><em>“Don’t you know Senku-chan..? Rulers get overthrown by their nations for these things all the time.” </em> </p>
<p>A joking conversation between Gen and Senku has consequences they didn't foresee.<br/>The entity that has been haunting their communications technology attempts to bring down the Kingdom of Science...</p>
<p>or</p>
<p>That Dr. Stone watching the series fic that takes itself far too seriously.</p>
<p>WARNING: Major manga spoilers</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ishigami Senkuu &amp; Everyone</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>349</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>549</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Characters Watch/Read Canon/Fanon, Characters Watching the show</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>
  <span class="u">
    <br/>
    <strong>SPOILER WARNING: This story takes place after manga chapter 141/142 so if you have only watched the anime and do not want to be spoiled you should probably wait until the anime catches up. This may take a year or two… </strong>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <br/>
  <span class="u"><strong>Disclaimer:</strong> All characters, settings, etc. are the property of the writers/creators of Dr. Stone. The author of this fanfiction and the included transcript is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended. </span>
</p>
<p> <span class="u"><strong>Change from Canon:</strong>  In this story when the Perseus crew returns from Treasure Island, winter is closer than in canon. This forces Senku and the others to wait for spring to continue their travels.  </span></p>
<p>  <span class="u"><strong>Style Changes:</strong>  To the characters watching the show the people and events appearing on screen are ten billion percent real. Because of that, some of the more cartoonish elements of the series are altered to be more realistic.</span></p>
<p>  <span class="u"><strong> Series Dialogue:</strong>  I spent some time doing anime translations in the past so I know a fair bit of Japanese. In this story I’ll be using the English translations that I find are most true to the original Japanese dialogue. Sources may vary</span></p>
    </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>(last edited: 11-01-2021)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Like once stated by a certain young scientist:</p>
<p>
  <em>“The most powerful weapon in humanity’s history is communications technology…” </em>
</p>
<p>The ease with which information is transmitted between people… it has an influence that’s often easily underestimated. Maybe even by those within the Kingdom of Science… Communications that seem, at first glance, inane or even entirely unimportant might end up playing a huge role in events to come…</p>
<p>Is it really a surprise that it actually happened? Especially with a conversation between these two key figures… Even though in this particular case absolutely nothing groundbreaking was discussed… or so it seemed…</p>
<p>The Perseus had recently returned from its successful voyage to ‘treasure island’, and upon that return an important goal had finally been fulfilled... While most of the people who had been part of the expedition had remained at what had formerly been the Empire of Might… Ishigami Senku, the de facto leader of the kingdom of science, had decided to spend a couple of days in Ishigami village…</p>
<p> Although there was a fair amount of distance between the two camps, they were still constantly in contact, Senku especially using their cellphone to keep track of things… Today, Asagiri Gen was the one whose voice had answered him from the other side. It soon became clear that nothing urgent had come up. So before long, the mentalist and the scientist ended up descending into their habitual banter. Then… Gen started happily mocking Senku -once again- for his ‘problematic’ penchant for blunt honesty at the most inconvenient of times…</p>
<p>
  <em>“Don’t you know Senku-chan..?” wheedled the magician, seemingly lighthearted, “Rulers get overthrown by their nations for these things all the time! Their people learn of a couple too many ‘truths’ concerning their actions... And the next thing you know they start revolting, the government gets overthrown and the once-upon-a-time leader gets tragically killed or thrown into an isolated cell, never to be heard from again.“ </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>There was a sly darkness in the Mentalist’s voice which conjured the impression that he actually enjoyed the thought of such a thing happening to Senku. Gen could be frightening when this side of him showed itself. The scientist however, only smirked and let the silence stretch.  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Gen laughed playfully and continued with a sunny smile:</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Skip ahead a decade or two and documentaries will start popping up! And all of the world will get to watch them just to agree that those leaders were inhuman and that whatever their terrible fate… it was completely deserved!”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Don’t be illogical,” Senku’s voice was flat, not sounding impressed with Gen’s dramatics. “-Next you’ll start telling me that people are already getting a head start and eagerly lining up to create such a documentary about our kingdom of science!”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“You never know,” The smile in Gen’s voice was genuine now. “Minami-chan might be interested!”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Even if there was such a thing, nobody here would watch it,” Senku countered, satisfaction clear in his voice. “Maybe Chrome and Kaseki would be interested. You and everyone else however wouldn’t be able to keep focused during the important parts, which would obviously be the scientific details!” Senku grinned. “If there was a documentary detailing the things I do every day… You’d all fall asleep out of sheer boredom. You’d definitely give up on watching within the first ten minutes!” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Now don’t be so hasty Senku-chan.”Gen’s sly smile had only grown wider. “After some editing and maybe adding a halfway decent soundtrack… I would probably watch it!”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Of course,” Senku’s voice was dry as the desert. “And after watching this imaginary documentary with me as the main character that absolutely everyone is going to be interested in…” His sarcasm was definitely getting thicker, “…the Kingdom of Science will tragically self-destruct and I will bitterly regret ever having told the truth about a single thing.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Now you’re getting it, Senku-chan!”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“That’s ten billion percent never going to happen! Come up with something else, Mentalist!”</em>
</p>
<p>Yes, a completely normal nonsensical conversation. Nothing talked about that day would have had any noticeable impact if it hadn’t been for one minor detail… that this conversation took place over their phone…</p>
<p>Because a looming presence had long since been haunting their communications technology.</p>
<p>They were not the only ones listening…</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>
  <strong>Day one: The countdown  </strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome was in a good mood.  Winter had come early this year and the snow was already thick enough to make travel needlessly difficult but there were still plenty of interesting things to do!  </p>
<p>Making a space craft capable of travelling to the moon with just the resources available in their corner of the world might have turned out to be impossible. But Still… that didn’t mean their new, crazy long, roadmap didn’t still have steps they could take! Gone were the winters during which Chrome had nothing to do except hiding from the cold; regularly reduced to staring at the walls while waiting for a spring that always seemed to take an eternity to get there. Practicing arithmetic in his head just to have something to distract himself with. Science was so amazing!</p>
<p>Back when they had returned from Treasure Island and Senku had revealed the ‘roadmap to the moon’, the kingdom had been bursting with excitement. A fair bit of incredulity had also been voiced but Chrome hadn’t felt the need to pay those reactions any mind. This always happened after all, when Senku had them undertaking something especially bad. Unfortunately, since the winter was fast approaching; gathering resources from all over the world would have to wait until spring. However it turned out that there were still plenty of steps that they could take while the cold kept them inside. Also, it seemed the modern-timers did not feel like whiling away their time. Hiding from the strenuous work that was science. A large number of them had their eyes on one specific part of the road map. Computers! Chrome hadn’t quite understood the multiple explanations he’d received about ‘the awesomeness of computers’ and what exactly they were… but they still sounded incredibly bad! And apparently they needed reinventing before the kingdom of science could launch their future rocket! Senku however had quickly spoiled the fun of all involved. It turned out that building a computer with the resources at hand also wasn’t going to happen. This in turn meant that the reinvention of something called ‘video games’ would have to wait… to the tearful disappointment of the many who had been shooting the roadmap longing glances. Taiju’s disappointment was especially loud.  </p>
<p>After Chrome had been made to witness some very awkward begging though, Senku had seemingly decided that they might as well start building a television instead. The broadcasting capabilities and screen would be useful later and they had the time so it was definitely logical to start building one now. Or so Senku claimed to the celebrating revived after he announced the news. The project instantly gained no end of enthusiastic volunteers. Though if Chrome knew Senku; most of them would have ended up ‘volunteering’ anyway.  </p>
<p>Now New Year’s was close and the finished television had its own dedicated room next to the photography studio. There were seats for viewing but the television also occupied a large portion of the room. All of that machinery needed to make it function… Chrome had delighted in working on it! It now could receive broadcasts, had a recording function and its screen was fairly large and could even show things in color! They would be able to watch something called a ‘movie’ on the television! Or they would once Minami and some of those others from Tsukasa’s former empire got around to creating one with their new film camera. They were already making plans and Gen had happily talked about recording a magic show. It all sounded so amazing! So bad!</p>
<p>Senku had claimed that the whole thing was too bulky and that the image quality didn’t even come close to the HD flat screens they had in the modern age but nobody had cared and Chrome had seen Senku smiling that small satisfied smile when he thought nobody was paying him attention. They had all celebrated the night it had been finished even though they had nothing to use the thing for yet. Senku had gone to Ishigami village the next day. Chrome hoped they’d have something to show him once he came back. It was always great when they managed to surprise the usually unflappable scientist.</p>
<p>Today though; Chrome planned to see if he could improve the sound quality of the device. They had definitely upgraded their speakers since they built that first cell phone but he’d had this awesome idea earlier-</p>
<p>Chrome stepped into the TV room and immediately noticed something was wrong.</p>
<p>There weren’t supposed to be numbers on the screen…</p>
<p>289… 288… 287… 286…</p>
<p>Ukyo silently watched the numbers ticking away as Chrome checked the wires one final time to make absolutely sure. The recording equipment they had made, but not yet had the chance to really test, needed to work. A huge signal had once again hijacked their equipment and started a countdown on their television. Chrome had discovered it almost 2 hours ago and they’d all known the source  even before Ukyo had confirmed its point of origin. Whatever Why-man was counting down to, it was unlikely to be good so they needed all the information they could get. Senku wasn’t here and wouldn’t be able to make it back in time for whatever the transmission was going to show them. Ukyo hoped he’d make it here tomorrow, but until then they would record whatever would be broadcast once this countdown was at an end. That didn’t mean they were going to ignore this until then.</p>
<p>Apart from Senku, all of the ‘wise generals’ had gathered in the tv room. Only months ago the mysterious entity they called Why-man had removed any and all doubts they might have harbored about its intentions using that chilling method.... That direct attempt to decimate everything they had built using Senku’s voice... Not a single one of them would take any signal from that source lightly.  Ukyo glanced sideways to the others assembled in the room from beneath his cap. Most of them had already sat down behind their ‘conference’ table. It had been dragged here from its regular location in the ‘Strategy room’ where they usually discussed tactics. Chrome had finished with the recorder and walked around the table to take the seat next to Ukyo… then there was Ryusui… Gen… and finally Tsukasa…</p>
<p>58… 57… 56… 55…</p>
<p>Ukyo wasn’t entirely certain how much Tsukasa knew about Why-man as he hadn’t seen much of the man since his fairly recent revival. This may have been deliberate on his part… Or it could have been because Ukyo had been spending more time in Senku’s vicinity, who had been working separate from most warriors, quietly keeping an eye on the scientist. Ukyo knew that this was likely completely unnecessary but… it put his mind somewhat at ease. The stone wars may have ended almost two years ago but… some experiences he couldn’t let go of just yet... So as Shishio Tsukasa had joined the kingdom of science, Ukyo started dedicating more of his time to unobtrusively watching their unofficial leader’s back.</p>
<p>He suspected that he wasn’t alone in doing so either…</p>
<p>15… 14… 13… 12…</p>
<p>The countdown was almost at its end. Each of the others had their eyes on the screen. They would get to the moon and before that they would not allow Why-man to eradicate them. The kingdom of science would stand strong. Ukyo narrowed his eyes and joined them in their focus. Next to him he knew Chrome looked like he was ready for a challenge, Ryusui was wearing his predatory grin, Gen’s sharp-eyed smirk was covering any nervousness he might have felt and Tsukasa’s face was dangerously blank. They’d completed whatever preparations they could in the limited time the countdown had granted them... And now… whatever it was that would, within seconds, appear on the screen… it was time to see if they were ready for it…</p>
<p>3… 2… 1…</p>
<p>The screen turned black...</p>
<p>And then… white letters materialized…</p>
<p>
  <strong>[DOCUMENTARY]</strong>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So... this was the prologue! </p>
<p>I really wanted to read a Dr. Stone ‘watching the series’ fic. And then it didn't look like any of the awesome fanfiction writers out there would be nice enough to write me one... so I obviously needed to start one myself!<br/>This plot is my attempt at getting the characters to watch the series without Senku rebelling because of how unscientific 'watching the series' fics usually are.<br/>Hope you'll have fun reading!</p>
<p>Updates to this story will likely happen slowly since apparantly writing episode transcripts takes time. Who knew? :D</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Episode 1 Part 1: The Stone World</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The first episode begins...</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>(last edited: 14-01-2021)</p>
<p>Text Formats:</p>
<p>-  Normal Text<br/>-  <strong>Happens on Screen </strong><br/>-  <strong>[Written on Screen] </strong><br/>- <em>"Character Thought"</em><br/>- <strong><em>"Character Thought on Screen"</em> </strong></p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>[DOCUMENTARY]</strong>
</p>
<p>Gen let out an incredulous chuckle, staring at the screen like he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing. “…Seriously..?”</p>
<p>“Do-cu-mentary?” wondered Chrome out loud, getting a feel for the unfamiliar word. “What’s that?”</p>
<p>“It’s a type of television show, like a visual report!” Stated Ryusui. His eyes had lit up with something close to intrigue.</p>
<p>Tsukasa nodded and elaborated: “In the old world, If you were interested in a subject, one way to learn more was to watch a documentary..!”</p>
<p>“Huh?” Chrome looked between them in surprise and then scratched his head, “But why would Why-man give us information on anything?”</p>
<p>The letters changed…</p>
<p>
  <strong>[Episode 1: Stone World]</strong>
</p>
<p>“An episode?” wondered Ukyo quietly, though not quite inaudibly, “That likely means there will be more than one…”</p>
<p> “Yes…” Tsukasa’s low, smooth voice easily drew the attention of the others by its tone. “And if this ‘episode’ is about the stone world… it’s likely that this Why-man is trying to feed us false information…”</p>
<p>Chrome and Ukyo both nodded contemplatively while Ryusui also looked like he agreed with that assessment.</p>
<p>Gen though, was still staring at the screen with incredulous realization, like he suspected it was having him on.</p>
<p>Then the next image appeared… and all speculations were forgotten…</p>
<p><strong>A ruined street full of wreckage. Besides the traces of devastation and overgrowth there were also statues. The stone statues of people seemingly suspended in time, some of them still wearing the crumbling remains of what used to be clothing. The statue of one girl seemed to be begging for help, desperately stretching out her hand.</strong> </p>
<p>Ryusui, Gen, Ukyo and even Tsukasa all sat frozen in their seats, none of them breathing...</p>
<p>Chrome looked between the others and the horrible image on the screen uncertainly and with quickly building alarm. There were so many things that he’d never seen before on that screen and normally he would already be asking question after question… but the full effect was too heartbreaking… It would never be able to entice his curiosity. He swallowed…</p>
<p><strong>A voice started speaking: </strong> </p>
<p><strong>“On that day… every single human in the world was turned to stone.”</strong> </p>
<p>“It’s… going to show us that day?” Asked Ukyo in a hollow voice.</p>
<p>“What is this..!” Ryusui’s gaze had turned grim and his voice low and harsh. “-A threat?! Some kind of intimidation tactic?!!”</p>
<p>Gen slowly shook his head in disbelief. All of the lighthearted skepticism had drained from his face.</p>
<p>Even Tsukasa was seized by the horror of the image. The look in his eyes had morphed into something violent and predatory... It was a look a certain green-haired scientist would have recognized...</p>
<p><strong>A classroom door was slammed open and a well-built teenager in a school uniform stood in the doorway, sweat on his face. He had short spiky brown hair and brown eyes with uncommonly large eyebrows… </strong> </p>
<p>All of them startled at the sudden change in setting.</p>
<p>“..Taiju?!”  Chrome blurted out, staring at the teenager on the screen, the strange, unfamiliar clothes throwing him for a loop. <em>“What are those..?”</em></p>
<p>“…Younger than he is now...”noted Ukyo quietly, though still shaken from the previous image. <em>“What was going on..?”</em></p>
<p><strong>And, even when slightly short of breath, an uncommonly loud voice.</strong> </p>
<p><strong>“Listen up, Senku!”</strong> </p>
<p>Gen closed his eyes with a slight sigh, whispering too softly for anyone, except Ukyo, to make out: “Should I call this confirmation yet? Senku-chan...”</p>
<p><strong>He shouted passionately, stepping inside. </strong> </p>
<p><strong>“-I have made up my mind! Today I’m going to confess these feelings I’ve had for the past five years to Yuzuriha!”</strong> </p>
<p>“Wait..!” Chrome’s eyes were wide. “Taiju is in l-love with Yuzuriha?”</p>
<p>Ryusui let out a boisterous laugh, a wide and only slightly forced grin on his face like the previous grimness was never there. He dramatically snapped his fingers. “The boy knows who he desires! Understandable. I certainly love the amazing Yuzuriha too! As should everyone!!”</p>
<p>Most of the tense atmosphere that had been left after the desolate scenery broke, Ukyo cracking a small smile beneath his cap and Tsukasa almost sweat dropping.</p>
<p>Gen smirked softly.</p>
<p>
  <em>“Amazing as always, Ryusui-chan…”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>The suddenness of the exclamation startled almost every student in view, most of them covering their ears against the noise. They were in a classroom furnished with specifically equipped desks,  most of them holding what seemed to be science experiments in various stages of completion. </strong>
</p>
<p>“Baaaaad! What is that place?!”</p>
<p>Chrome’s curiosity was increasing quickly and his dark eyes were sparkling with interest as he took in the strange room. Taiju’s romantic ambitions were momentarily forgotten.</p>
<p>Gen turned to Chrome with a small grin. “It’s a science classroom in the old world.”</p>
<p>Tsukasa nodded, also smiling slightly. “Yes… This is what school looked like before the petrification event.”</p>
<p>Chrome felt like there were a thousand more questions ready to burst out of him but he made an effort to hold them back... They were here to deal with Why-man’s new signal and the danger it posed. Now wasn’t the time for that…  His eyes were momentarily drawn to the recording equipment, which seemed to be operating perfectly. He’d definitely make sure there would be time for those questions later though!</p>
<p>
  <strong>Only a single person didn’t react to the disruption. A lanky young man who, like the majority of the students present, wore a white lab coat. He was also the owner of the most eye-catching hair in the room. It spiked up like the leaves of a bok choy; two-toned with bone-white roots, shifting to light green with a darker green at the tips.  Only a single lock seemed to be obeying gravity, falling in front of his face. </strong>
</p>
<p>“Senku...” declared Tsukasa quietly, a certain intensity returning to his voice.</p>
<p>
  <strong>A dispassionate voice spoke up:</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Hmmm..? Well that sure does sound interesting...”</strong>
</p>
<p>“Definitely Senku-chan,” affirmed Gen, sweat dropping at the tone of Senku’s first line in this so-called ‘documentary’.</p>
<p>
  <strong>The boy finally looked over his shoulder to the other, away from the mechanical contraption on his desk into which he had just inserted a vial. He had sharp features and a cool air about him; the expression on his face as dispassionate as his voice. His distinctive red eyes looked utterly untroubled.</strong>
</p>
<p>All of them took a moment to take in the younger Senku on the screen, unmarked by cracks...</p>
<p>Senku had only just appeared but…</p>
<p>Ukyo was the one who said it, voice soft:</p>
<p>“There is something different about him…”</p>
<p>
  <strong>“I’ll be cheering for you, so hard that my vocal chords will snap. From here in this science lab…”</strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome would have snickered at that mental image but he was still too distracted taking in all the things that he’d never seen before. He still absentmindedly reacted to Ukyo’s remark:</p>
<p>“That’s natural isn’t it? He’s younger and doesn’t have the cracks, so…”</p>
<p>“No…” Ryusui disagreed, the captain’s gaze not moving from the screen. “That’s not it.” None of the revived, especially the ones present in this room, were the same as they had been in the old world… But even so…</p>
<p>
  <em>“Ukyo isn’t wrong… This Senku has a quality to him that’s different from the one we know… beyond being affected by the stone world..!” </em>
</p>
<p>Gen didn’t say anything. He was just intently taking in the younger Senku like he knew something the others didn’t… a glint of sadness flickered through his eyes.</p>
<p>
  <strong>The boy clicked the vial into place.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“OH, YOU WILL?!!”</strong>
</p>
<p>There were some stares.</p>
<p>“Errr…” Ukyo sweat dropped, “How long exactly has Taiju known Senku?” Whatever the differences in this past version of the scientist, the former sonar operator was certain he hadn’t changed THAT much.</p>
<p>
  <strong>The brown-haired teenager enthusiastically came up next to him, his fists eagerly clenched. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Thank you, Senku!”</strong>
</p>
<p>“I’m fairly sure they’ve known each other since elementary school,” Gen commented with an idle smile.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku stuck a finger into the ear the other had yelled into with an annoyed expression. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Be quiet. I won’t be cheering for you even one millimeter, you big oaf.”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“WHAT?! “</strong>
</p>
<p>All five of them were either smiling or grinning. This was very familiar. </p>
<p>
  <strong>The boy yelled indignantly: </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-Which is it!?!”</strong>
</p>
<p>“Are he and the lovely Yuzuriha actually together now?” wondered Ryusui with a grin and he snapped his fingers. “I should have known!”</p>
<p>Gen smirked, even as his eyes never left the young Senku on the screen. “You know Ryusui-chan, I actually don’t think they are.”</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Anyway, five years and you haven’t said anything. Idiot, how illogical can you be?”</strong>
</p>
<p>“Five years..?” Chrome muttered under his breath.</p>
<p>Tsukasa though, had something else on his mind. “If Taiju was here right now, watching with us… Yes… then he should be able to confirm much of the accuracy of this footage…”</p>
<p>Ryusui nodded his agreement, expression contemplative as he stated: “Whether this is fake or a genuine recording… either way, we’ll need to find out soon..!”</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku crouched slightly, getting something from his desk.</strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo glanced sideways. The fact that Tsukasa and Ryusui actually got along had spread through the Kingdom of Science like wildfire, mainly because it went completely against everyone’s expectations. It had yet to stop surprising him. He added his own comment: “We should continue watching for now. We can get Taiju once this ‘episode’ finishes. He can use the recording we’re making if necessary…”</p>
<p>
  <strong>“I’ll give you something that’s so logical, it’s to die for.“</strong>
</p>
<p>“…though when it comes to verification… I can tell you these voices are definitely not synthesized.” Ukyo finished awkwardly, turning back to the screen at Senku’s ominous remark.</p>
<p>Chrome was starting to look worried. <em>“To die for..?” </em>Was that fluid like sulfuric acid? Part of one of those science expeditions where someone may need to risk their life?</p>
<p>
  <strong>A devilish grin appeared on his face and in his voice as he held up a flask containing a clear liquid with a whitish tint.</strong>
</p>
<p>Gen started smirking slyly at Senku’s expression.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“A drug that’ll stimulate your pheromone output to the max. A so-called love potion.” </strong>
</p>
<p>While Ryusui’s eyes sharpened at the mention of the love potion,  Chrome’s turned wide and awed.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku leered at him from the corner of his eyes, his evil grin not going anywhere.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Once you drink this you will be ten billion percent set!”</strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome couldn’t keep it in: “Amazing! Science can do that? Really?!”</p>
<p>Gen sighed with a slight smile. Of course Chrome would be curious, even though the mentalist didn’t have any doubts that this was something the young sciencer would never actually use himself.</p>
<p>
  <strong>The other boy contemplated the flask that was now in his hands briefly. Then he turned it over above a sink, pouring the liquid down the drain to the shock of an onlooking student. </strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome’s mouth fell open at the waste of it but none of the others around him looked surprised.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Thank you, Senku! But sorry...” </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>He looked straight at the other and said:</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“I can’t rely on cheap tricks!”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>He turned and left the room with a purposeful air about him, the door slamming shut.</strong>
</p>
<p>“That’s the way it should be!” Ryusui smirked dramatically. “If you desire someone, win them fair and square!”</p>
<p>“Reeeeeally?” Gen mused with a sly smile, “I had no idea you were so virtuous, Ryusui-chan!”</p>
<p>Ryusui waved him off with a flippant grin.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Most of the onlooking teenagers turned to Senku now that the drama was over. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Seriously Senku? A love potion?”</strong>
</p>
<p>“These… would be Senku’s peers at school wouldn’t they?” wondered Ukyo thoughtfully, somewhat interested.</p>
<p>Chrome looked at Ukyo in surprise. “<em>Senku’s… peers..?”</em>  He turned back to the screen and, for once, didn’t focus on the science on display. Instead he turned his attention to the many teenagers present, most  of them seemingly around two or three years younger than he was now...  </p>
<p>
  <strong>Two of them were looking at the sink with clear longing.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Like those even exist.”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Was Senku’s blasé reply. </strong>
</p>
<p>“Yes, how could anyone possibly have believed such a thing!” mused Gen idly.</p>
<p>“They likely weren’t on his level,” Tsukasa noted, nodding at the screen. The apparatus on Senku’s desk and the science projects belonging to others in that classroom... The contrast was very visible…</p>
<p>
  <strong>A burning match flew into the sink and ignited the remaining liquid. The large flame making the two boys recoil.</strong>
</p>
<p>While the fire caused several of them to startle slightly, Ryusui looked like he had expected this…</p>
<p>
  <strong>“It’s just gasoline.” </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku explained calmly. </strong>
</p>
<p>“What?!” yelped Chrome. “That’s bad!”</p>
<p>“This is our first hint in confirmation that this footage is real…” said the Perseus’ captain, the statement drawing everyone’s attention.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“I refined it from plastic bottle caps.” </strong>
</p>
<p>“Senku once mentioned to me…” Ryusui said emotionlessly. “that the last bit of science he did before the world was petrified was the creation of gasoline…”</p>
<p>
  <strong>The other students made questioning noises.</strong>
</p>
<p>“Taiju claimed that the gasoline was a love potion back then too…” he finished, staring straight ahead.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Think about the molecular structure of polyethylene, stupid. It’s just a long gasoline molecule with a few hydrocarbons chopped off.” </strong>
</p>
<p>For once, Chrome didn’t attempt to focus on the science, even though what  Senku was saying sounded incredibly interesting… Instead he asked quietly, his face closed off: “So we’re going to see it..? The collapse.”</p>
<p>Tsukasa answered, face blank of any emotion: “Likely. Though for the time being… we should probably treat what we’re seeing as real. At least until we can get more confirmation… Yes…”</p>
<p>
  <strong>He smirked.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“You can tell just by looking at it. ”</strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo closed his eyes with a sad smile that attempted to be positive. “This is at least realistic. Senku is calling something scientific that I cannot understand obvious. “</p>
<p>
  <strong>Several thoughts that were clearly not voiced aloud rang through the silence.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“Uh, no I can’t.” </em> </strong>
</p>
<p>They startled at that...</p>
<p>Ryusui let out a short, almost hysterical’ chuckle, “Are we supposed to believe this?”</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“No way.” </em> </strong>
</p>
<p>Gen, who before seemingly had yet to decide if he was going to take this whole broadcast seriously… <em>shifted</em>. He was suddenly glaring at the screen with ruthless eyes, his face twisting into one of the darkest expressions anyone had ever seen of him.</p>
<p>Ryusui and Tsukasa, who sat on both sides of him, immediately noticed the change.</p>
<p>Then.… Gen blinked… darkness disappearing like it’d only been an illusion. “Later..!” he said with a light, cheerful voice that entirely belied his previous expression. “We’ll worry about Why-man recording and broadcasting our very thoughts once we know more! Or when Senku-chan is here!” He nodded happily, his eyes little slits that nobody present could read.</p>
<p>None of the others contradicted him, Chrome pale and nodding hurriedly.</p>
<p>Ryusui had already recaptured his usual confidence and snapped his fingers. “Of course! Later.”</p>
<p>His gaze lingered for a moment on the mentalist next to him, who had pretty much been Senku’s right hand since Ryusui had come to know him.</p>
<p>
  <em>“Because Gen, this would mostly be your department anyway. And when you’re like this you’re definitely scarier than Why-man.”</em>
</p>
<p> Tsukasa looked at Gen thoughtfully.</p>
<p>
  <em>“I haven’t seen that side of you before… Gen.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>A boy with glasses spoke up hesitantly:</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Then… if he drank that wouldn’t Taiju-kun have died?”</strong>
</p>
<p>That pulled Ryusui’s attention back to the screen and he snorted: “Like Senku wouldn’t know his companions better than that.”</p>
<p>Chrome released the breath he’d ended up holding since people’s inner thoughts had apparently gained voices of their own and grinned too.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku turned to him with a relaxed grin.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“I was ten billion percent sure he wouldn’t drink it. That stupidly earnest idiot...” </strong>
</p>
<p>While Ryusui and Chrome looked smug at being proven right, Gen just sighed, eyes warming.  This broadcast would likely have more serious consequences than Gen would like after all but… He gave the lighthearted Senku on the screen a smirk… for now he could wait and see. </p>
<p>
  <strong>The Sun was shining through the leaves of a tree.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>A slender teenaged girl with long pretty brown hair and lively brown eyes stood beneath a broken branch, staring at it. She wore a school uniform with a yellow vest and a red ribbon in a bow around her neck. A white hairband vaguely shaped like headphones adorned her hair. </strong>
</p>
<p>“And the lovely Yuzuriha has arrived!” exclaimed Ryusui.</p>
<p>“She used to have long hair?” noted Chrome, having needed a blink to recognize her. <em>“Must have cut it off at some point…”</em></p>
<p>Tsukasa’s eyes darkened slightly.</p>
<p>
  <strong>After some contemplation she untied her ribbon and started using it to bind the broken branch.</strong>
</p>
<p>Beneath his cap Ukyo smiled a small private smile.</p>
<p>Meanwhile Chrome was focused on something entirely different. his eyes were hurriedly swiveling from one side of the screen to the other to take in all the modern buildings as fast as possible.</p>
<p>“Baaaaaaaaad…” He whispered.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Yuzuriha!” </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju stepped onto the schools courtyard.</strong>
</p>
<p>“He’s arrived!” Chrome yelled in shock, having temporarily forgotten about Taiju. Then he hurriedly covered his mouth with both hands, somehow worried that he could disturb Taiju’s important moment by making too much noise.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Sorry to keep you waiting!”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>The girl had finished binding the tree branch and turned to Taiju with a bashful smile.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“So, what is it Taiju-kun,” </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>She sounded affectionate and took a couple of steps towards him. The sun lighting up her face.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-that you wanted to talk about?”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>She smiled at him prettily and Taiju gulped. </strong>
</p>
<p>Ryusui, Gen and Ukyo all smiled at the two and Chrome had his fists clenched and was now rapidly encouraging Taiju under his breath.</p>
<p>Tsukasa just continued to watch, not reacting.</p>
<p>
  <strong>From an open window above the scene, three of the teenage boys who had been present earlier were watching gleefully.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“A hundred yen says he gets rejected.”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Bet one.</strong>
</p>
<p>“Aw, cmon..!” protested Chrome loudly… “And what’s a yen?!”</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Three hundred yen says he gets rejected hard.”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Bet the second.</strong>
</p>
<p>“The old world version of dragons”, Said Gen, smiling slyly. “and they could win their bets! For as far as we know Taiju-chan and Yuzu-chan are not in a relationship!”</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Five hundred yen says he gets rejected at full power!”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Offered the third. </strong>
</p>
<p>Ryusui folded his arms confidently. “He will doubtlessly succeed. Taiju is putting himself out there for his desire! These cretin’s would already have given up!”</p>
<p>
  <strong>Then they looked up in surprise when someone else added their bet.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Ten thousand yen says he unexpectedly doesn’t get rejected.“</strong>
</p>
<p>“Senku seems to agree with you there” Ukyo told Ryusui, his eyes light.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku was leaning with his back against the window next to theirs. A smirk on his face as he calmly opened the can of an energy drink. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“SERIOUSLY?!” </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>chorused three voices...</strong>
</p>
<p> “Senku-chan does tend to know his friends very well...” Gen said, smiling a bit distantly but it was soon cut off…</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em> “I was afraid that by telling her how I feel, Yuzuriha wouldn’t even be my friend anymore.”</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>The mentalist ‘twitched’ at the mental voice and all of the others looked various levels of uncomfortable at listening in on this younger Taiju’s fears and feelings.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju looked down, his eyes unsure and mouth closed.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“I’ve been a coward all this time…”</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome swallowed, and clenched his fists.</p>
<p>“Go for it Taiju!” He yelled at the screen, and turned to look at his companions.</p>
<p>“-This is Taiju. We know him already! And when we tell him about this later and he wants us to forget all about it then we will!”</p>
<p>
  <strong>He looked up and took a step towards Yuzuriha.</strong>
</p>
<p>The others all deflated a bit. Soft chuckles rung through the room and Gen smirked at Chrome.</p>
<p>“So we’ll just spontaneously forget, is that right?”</p>
<p>Chrome nodded firmly.</p>
<p>“That’s right!”</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Hear me out, Yuzuriha!”</strong>
</p>
<p>And as one they all turned back to the screen with laser focus.</p>
<p>
  <strong>The girl started at his vehement request.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“…But today is the day…”</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>“Don’t be nervous, say it!” Ryusui encouraged with a wide grin.</p>
<p>
  <strong>She looked at him with wide eyes and a blush on her cheeks.</strong>
</p>
<p>Gen smiled. Yuzuriha-chan definitely knew what Taiju was going to say.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju continued:</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“For the past five years I have…”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku startled slightly, lowering his drink, and turned to look out the window.</strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo’s eyes turned alert first, with Tsukasa tensing barely a millisecond after.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju hadn’t moved but was now staring past Yuzuriha instead of at her…</strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome, who had been on the edge of his seat in anticipation, looked puzzled at the pause. “What is he looking at?”</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“What is… That light?”</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>“This… is it.” said Ukyo, voice shaking slightly.</p>
<p>Every single one of them recognized that color. The ones who hadn’t witnessed it 3,700 years ago had become acquainted with it at treasure island.</p>
<p>
  <strong>A bright green light shone onto the city, giving everything in sight an eerie glow. The source of it was seemingly beyond the horizon.</strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome took in the view of the huge city with some awe and growing dread. Buildings… spread out as far as the eye could see. Just how many people had lived there?</p>
<p>
  <strong>People stopped whatever they were doing to stare. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>A group of girls on the school track field looked up from their cooldown exercises. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>In Shibuya people of all ages stopped walking in the middle of the crossing, a couple of middle schoolers taking pictures with their phones…</strong>
</p>
<p>Tsukasa sat rigid in his chair…</p>
<p>
  <strong>Then… a gigantic glowing wave of green light, as tall as the sky and so dense that it almost seemed physical, reached the city…</strong>
</p>
<p>Gen’s eyes, along with those of Ryusui and Chrome, grew huge as they took in the wave of light. A shard of ice seemed to lodge itself in his heart as he took in what they were up against. This was incomparable to what they’d seen at Treasure island. The size… the scale of it…</p>
<p>
  <strong>From space; a huge wave of green tinted energy seemed to be expanding across the earth.</strong>
</p>
<p>Their whole planet... Ukyo clenched his teeth. The synthesized voice made to sound like Senku resounded in his head<strong>: </strong></p>
<p>
  <em>“12,800,000 meters... One second”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>At the school with Taiju and Yuzuriha; an unnatural breeze blew across the schoolyard. Yuzuriha uttered a panicked sound, her hands grabbing for the trunk of the tree. She looked at the horizon with wide eyes.</strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome shook his head disbelievingly. He’d thought that he knew what happened 3,700 years ago but… This wasn’t like on treasure island where they all understood what was happening and that Senku would be there to get them out. This was…</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju rushed past her… </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Yuzuriha! Hang on to that camphor tree!”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>He positioned himself directly between her and the light, his arms spread wide as if to shield her from whatever was coming…</strong>
</p>
<p>Tsukasa’s eyes widened slightly. Taiju’s action wasn’t surprising at all of course but somehow he hadn’t expected to see the sturdy boy doing this again, not this far in the past.</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“I don’t know, but...”</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>The wave reached him and Taiju, with his eyes still wild with determination and his mouth wide open in a defiant yell, turned to stone. </strong>
</p>
<p>Ryusui clenched his fists. Taiju’s heroism would be useless.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Inside the school the wave of light permeated the walls. In a greenlit hallway everyone, every student and teacher, was now made of stone. Appearing like statues frozen in the moment, dressed in normal clothes. </strong>
</p>
<p>All these people who hadn’t been able to see it coming… Gen bowed his head.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Their minds however, were not quiet...</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“What’s going on? It’s so dark. “</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“I Can’t move.”</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“I can’t speak… Someone.. help me!”</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>The mentalist froze, around him his companions doing the same. “No,” he mumbled. “Why-man cannot seriously…”</p>
<p>Ryusui‘s hand clasped  Gen’s shoulder, his fingers trembling as they tightened a little too much.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Green light engulfed a large city filled with skyscrapers and on the street people stood petrified in stone, staring at the sky.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>New mental voices spoke English:</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“Help… HELP!!”</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em> “WHAT’S HAPPENING?!”</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“Is this… A cerebral infarct?”</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo was chalk white and tears started to run down his cheeks. Next to him Chrome gritted his teeth. He couldn’t understand what they were saying like Ukyo could but the emotions were all too clear.</p>
<p>
  <strong>The light was enveloping the Forbidden City in China, statues of sightseers everywhere…  </strong>
</p>
<p><strong> <em>“</em> </strong> <strong> <em>这是瘫痪吗</em> </strong> <strong> <em>？</em> </strong> <strong> <em>”</em> </strong></p>
<p><strong> <em>“</em> </strong> <strong>有人</strong> <strong>请救护车</strong> <strong>...”</strong></p>
<p>
  <strong>It was enveloping the colosseum in Rome. A couple stood petrified with their hands clasped together… </strong>
</p>
<p><strong> <em>“Amore mio, prenditi cura dei bambini ...”</em> </strong> </p>
<p>Tsukasa stared. He’d thought he wasn’t naive. He didn’t need to see this to know that the petrification ray had hit every country in the world. But this was... He had been building his empire according to his ideals but he’d managed to completely overlook the youths outside of his immediate viscinity who would have needed help too. How could he have...</p>
<p>
  <strong>It was enveloping a beach in Dubai… statues of beachgoers wearing swimming gear like they were still enjoying the sun and sea…</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“<em>la ‘urid ‘an ‘amut , la ‘urid ‘an ‘amut , la ‘urid ...”</em></strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome screwed his eyes shut, not even caring that it would make him miss the sights of those faraway locations that he’d never be able to witness otherwise. Still the ever increasing sounds of despair continued to reach him. He wanted to turn it off. This horrible broadcast full of suffering. <em>“Damn Why-man!”</em></p>
<p>
  <strong>It was enveloping the pyramids in Egypt. Stone people all dressed for the scorching climate. The statue of an old man in a nomads attire looked into the distance…</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“…’ana naesan jiddaan…”</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>The desperate mental voices in numerous languages kept adding to the cacophony of cries, louder and louder until the unintelligible noise reached a crescendo. Then the voices were cut off.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>An unceasing claxon echoed in a silent street. </strong>
</p>
<p>Haunted eyes stared at the screen, the mental screams still echoing in their ears.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Cars and trucks were scattered across the four lanes, some piled on top of each other. It didn’t look like a single vehicle had managed to come to a stop without crashing into something. Some of them were upside down. Smoke was slowly rising into the air…</strong>
</p>
<p>“This… is the aftermath,” said Gen, a drop of sweat trickling down his face. He didn’t look relieved that the thoughts of the petrified were no longer being forced upon them. “Nobody witnessed this. Everyone was stone. What are we going to see..?”</p>
<p>
  <strong>The stone body of a businessman was crushed between a truck and a blue car which still contained two stone passengers... </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>An airplane was descending above a city full of high-rise buildings… </strong>
</p>
<p>Cars. Airplanes. Senku had told Chrome about them and he’d wanted to see what they used to be like ever since. He stared at the screen with dreaded certainty that he was going to regret that wish.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Inside the cockpit the pilots were both made of stone…</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Inside the flight control center everyone was frozen in place like they’d be continuing their work any moment, also made of stone...</strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo’s tears continued unceasingly as he spoke. “Everyone…”</p>
<p>
  <strong>The airplane crashed into the city, the huge fiery explosion visible from far away… </strong>
</p>
<p>“-every person who was on a plane back then died.”</p>
<p>
  <strong>In the sea of fire, a stone head dropped from the sky with a crash, the expression on its face still full of terror… </strong>
</p>
<p>Ryusui’s jaw hurt from how tight he was clenching it. He desired to see all of them restored. All of them! But from the start, so many were beyond their reach… </p>
<p>
  <strong>A puppy on a leash was yipping frantically as it jumped up against a stone leg.  It was raining.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>The rain water was running in small rivulets down the stone face of the teenaged girl, some of it gathering in her stone eye and trickling down like she was crying.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>A young voice begged:</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Come save me... Mom… Dad…”</strong>
</p>
<p>A tear ran down Chrome’s cheek as an echo of the stone girl.</p>
<p>
  <strong>The girl’s stone hand was still holding tight to the leash of the puppy. It couldn’t get free and she didn’t seem to notice its desperate barks. Her mental voice grew quieter.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“Am I… going to… die….. like this..? </em> </strong>
</p>
<p>“She’s drifting away, losing consciousness,” Gen’s voice sounded hoarse.</p>
<p>“As did everyone,” said Tsukasa, pained.</p>
<p>Nobody noticed when Gen send Tsukasa a look, too calculating to be called curious...</p>
<p>
  <strong>The rainfall continued on in the drab, quiet Japanese shopping street. The air was grey…</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>The image darkened to black…</strong>
</p>
<p>Ryusui sighed. “I didn’t see it coming,” he said in an uncharacteristically heavy voice. Darkness had just suddenly swallowed the world…  </p>
<p>“Yeah… “Gen bowed his head, dual colored hair shadowing his face. It had been the same for him.</p>
<p>“I saw it.” Ukyo said quietly, wiping his eyes with a piece of cloth that Ryusui had silently handed him.</p>
<p>Tsukasa nodded. “As did I…”</p>
<p>Chrome didn’t know what to say. All the modern timers had been through this... He could understand now why petrification had been suffering to them while to people like him and Kaseki-jiichan it’d mostly been an interesting adventure.  He’d never felt quite so distant from them before…</p>
<p>Ukyo’s ears twitched and his eyes automatically focused back on the screen, hoping that for once he heard wrong.</p>
<p>The screen was still black but a sound was building up again.  </p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“WHOOOOAAH!!!”</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju mentally roared as the lightning flashed above him.  His stone form was in the same place as before with his school uniform now completely drenched by the downpour.</strong>
</p>
<p>“Taiju!” Chrome yelled in surprise.</p>
<p>
  <strong>”<em>I AM NOT DEAD YET!”</em></strong>
</p>
<p>Somehow. That statement helped bolster them against the huge tragedy they’d just witnessed. That they had once been part of. That’s right. They were all still alive.</p>
<p>
  <strong>He thought frantically:</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“-If I let my guard down even a little bit I will be sucked in… Wake up, me! Yuzuriha will be all right. I’m sure she is safe!”</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>This… Hurt. They all knew after all. Yuzuriha wasn’t all right. Nobody was.</p>
<p>
  <strong>A sunlit image. Yuzuriha waiting under the tree. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“I won’t let myself die a coward.  This time… I will tell Yuzuriha!!!”</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>Ryusu’s lips parted for a moment in shock… Then he managed a grin. “That’s the spirit! Keep your priorities straight!”</p>
<p>Gen sighed. “It’s Taiju-chan. He’s about as stubborn as Senku-chan! He won’t let go easily-“ he stilled, going over what he’d just said. His eyes widened. <em>“Wait…”</em></p>
<p>
  <strong>Time accelerated. A large, scruffy canine growled at the night sky, revealing its teeth.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>On a grassy hill, with nearby concrete buildings and slanted electricity poles, three wolves howled at the full moon…</strong>
</p>
<p>“Time is speeding up,” said Tsukasa, his body was completely rigid but he somehow still managed to be the calmest person in the room.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Several monkeys lounged in the dirty remains of what possibly had once been a restaurant. One of them swinging from the dirty blue overhang. Every window was broken. Grass and bushes sprouting through the pavement…</strong>
</p>
<p>It would all disappear. It had already started. Chrome clenched his fists. He wanted to cry. To scream! He was so damn angry!</p>
<p>
  <strong>In a narrow street the sewer holes resembled geysers, the sewers no longer able to keep functioning. The buildings were in a terrible state with ivy and mosses climbing the walls. The  clothes of the petrified people in view were in bad repair. One statue was tilted against a wall and further down the street a few statues had toppled over entirely. One of them had broken in half…</strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo’s ice-blue eyes glared at the screen, even as his tears started running again. Why! Just… He’d managed detachment for months while statues were getting violently destroyed right in front of him. He had even convinced himself that it didn’t bother him. Why was it hitting him this hard now, watching all those people for whom Senku’s kingdom of science would be too late to save them. Thousands of years too late…</p>
<p>
  <strong>The beginnings of a forest seemed to be sprouting between the large buildings of the city. Trees and plants were everywhere. Overgrowth was present even on the rooftops. Cars and a bus hedged in by plants…</strong>
</p>
<p>“How fast are the years passing?” Questioned Chrome in an uncharacteristically quiet voice. “I suppose that doesn’t really matter to anyone anymo-.”</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“I am going to survive…”</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>Everyone except Gen froze. This time not from horror but shock.</p>
<p>Chrome whispered: “He’s still..?”</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju’s petrified form was on the ground somewhere. A large wave of water washed over him.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“-by willpower!”</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>“This is impossible…” Whispered Ukyo, eyes wide. “How long did he manage to keep himself awake?!”</p>
<p>Tsukasa unconsciously leaned forward. He had underestimated Taiju again. It had happened too often since he’d met the boy. He wished he had asked more questions back when it was only Senku, Taiju and him.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Waves lapped against Tokyo tower. The water was high and in the distance huge waves engulfed multiple high-rise buildings.</strong>
</p>
<p>“This was our world” Gen said with a faraway look in his eyes.</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“No matter if it’s for weeks, or for months…”</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>A large dam in terrible shape, colored almost completely green from the overgrowth, sprung several large leaks…</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“-I will say it… for sure… no matter what!</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>“That is what he’s holding on for?!!” Chrome yelled incredulously.</p>
<p>“What else?” Asked Ryusui with a grim smile that couldn’t light the shadowed look in his eyes, watching the steady process of their world disappearing.</p>
<p>
  <strong>In a lake with a dense forest surrounding it, rusted vehicles and the relics of furniture washed up in several places. The haphazard shapes of stone statues were mixed in with the junk. </strong>
</p>
<p>“People are just part of the garbage at this point.” Gen’s face was dark again. Chrome glanced at him. He couldn’t remember the last time Gen had made that particular face so many times in one day.</p>
<p>The statues were already becoming part of the landscape the way he’d been used to all his life. He remembered when he’d first looked at one of them with the knowledge that there was a human being trapped in there…</p>
<p>
  <strong>Behind the forest the ruins of a couple of large modern buildings could be seen. Completely overgrown…</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju’s statue lay on its back on the forest ground between several large trees, moss and ivy were growing up his sides and across his waist…</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“How many decades has it been now? How many centuries…</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome gasped.</p>
<p>
  <strong>A stone eye was now barely visible beneath the leaves…</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>…How many millennia?”</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>They had all realized it. Taiju was not going to lose consciousness. Ukyo slowly shook his head in both horror and wonder. And so they silently bore witness…</p>
<p>
  <strong>The overgrown ruins of what must have once been Tokyo…</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“Well, I won’t lose..! </em> </strong>
</p>
<p>Bore witness to the unending determination of a fellow human being; one of their own…</p>
<p>
  <strong>Large sections of an overgrown bridge broke off, falling into the river…</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“I am going to tell Yuzuriha!”</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>The top half of the worn, corroded Tokyo Skytree broke off…</strong>
</p>
<p>Bore witness to the last of their world disappearing…</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“I WILL LIVE NO MATTER WHAT!”</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>Tsukasa bowed his head in respect.</p>
<p>
  <strong>The world slowly turned…</strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome could muster awe again. Awe and wonder. For Taiju... And for what their planet looked like from out of space…</p>
<p>
  <strong>A deer sniffed the air, walking with its young past the tree line. </strong>
</p>
<p>“Remember Senku-chan laughing at us because according to him we just didn’t understand how completely absurd Taiju-chan is?” Gen asked rhetorically, a strange look in his eyes.</p>
<p>Ryusui nodded, an equally strange look in his own and his voice sounded almost breathless. “Senku really wasn’t exaggerating...“</p>
<p>
  <strong>Mount Fuji was clearly visible. As far as the eye could see there were only forests, hills and mountains. Not a single sign of human civilization...</strong>
</p>
<p>“We’ve reached the stone world.” Said Ukyo, seeming to have regained some of his normal quiet composure. His face was still pale and the tear tracks on his cheeks hadn’t gone anywhere but the young adult seemed to be regaining some color.</p>
<p>They all nodded.</p>
<p>
  <strong>A drop of yellow liquid fell through the darkness… </strong>
</p>
<p>Tsukasa’s eyes sharpened.</p>
<p>
  <strong>A small dark cave in a sunlit forest appeared. The few statues nearby were stuck beneath roots and entangled in the shrubbery...</strong>
</p>
<p>“The miracle cave…” Mumbled Gen.</p>
<p>Ryusui turned to him with an enquiring look but the mentalist didn’t explain further.</p>
<p>
  <strong>The statue that was Taiju was positioned on its front inside the cave, on top of some dry grass. </strong>
</p>
<p>Tsukasa looked at the location, doubtful. <em>“Could Taiju’s statue truly have ended up in that position through natural forces alone?”</em> He kept the thought to himself for the time being.</p>
<p>
  <strong>From the ceiling, where multiple bats resided, a yellow liquid was dripping onto him. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Drop by drop hit Taiju’s stone head. And then… A cracking sound… </strong>
</p>
<p>“The nitric acid!”  Chrome gasped.</p>
<p>Ryusui, who was now grasping the situation, let out a breathless, slightly crazy laugh. “What amazing luck! He actually made it!”</p>
<p>
  <strong>A small crack appeared across his eye, the stone fracturing and some of it falling away. Behind the stone shell; Taiju’s brown eye widened, swiveling from side to side...</strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo let out an utterly relieved chuckle.</p>
<p>Gen didn’t smile though. His face was neutral as he took in Taiju’s anxious eye.</p>
<p>
  <strong>More cracks fractured the stone as Taiju strained. He roared:</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“AAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>He rose to his feet, the stone shell scattering fully and falling off of him, exposing his strongly muscled, flesh-and-bone-and-completely-nude body.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“I broke out!”</strong>
</p>
<p><em>“That was dramatic,”</em> popped into Gen’s head. He didn’t want to say it.</p>
<p>
  <strong>His eyes were wild. Two strange scars now seemed to crack his face. One crack started from his eyebrow, the other from his hairline, both ending just below his eyes.  </strong>
</p>
<p>The look on Taiju’s face… None of them felt like celebrating now. </p>
<p>
  <strong>“I broke free! Finally… Huh?”</strong>
</p>
<p>“Does that mean… he was trying to break out the whole time?” Chrome asked, swallowing.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju looked down at his hand where some of the stone had yet to fall off completely.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Stone… Fragments?”</strong>
</p>
<p>“Nobody knew what happened to us,” said Tsukasa softly. “No matter how long they kept conscious.”</p>
<p>
  <strong>Then he turned to the opening of the cave…</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Not far from there was a gorge. It was filled with a myriad of statues... </strong>
</p>
<p>Tsukasa’s eyes grew pained, recognizing the location.</p>
<p>
  <strong>many of them were overgrown. Most of them at least partially stuck in the ground. The cliff’s sides were crowded with them… and many of them broken… Statues missing arms, legs or even their heads... Severed stone limbs were scattered everywhere. A boy’s head stuck out of the ground. He only had one terrified eye, The other was missing along with a large part of his face…</strong>
</p>
<p>Somehow, after what they’d just witnessed, watching this scene was worse. They had all grown desensitized to a certain extend to the knowledge that these statues, broken or whole, were actually people. Now they could feel it hit them all over again.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju stared at the scene, temporarily frozen in place…</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“I see… everyone, like I thought… So that is what happened…</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>… Just how much time has passed?”</strong>
</p>
<p>“Too much,” Gen told the memory of Taiju in a low voice. He didn’t recognize this location, but the way desperate stone bodies and people’s arms and legs stuck out of the earth and cliff sides as if they were still trying to get away… It was more harrowing than any other scenery he’d seen in this stone world.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju brought his hands together in prayer and bowed his head.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“I’m sorry…”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>On the ground in front of him lay the broken statue of a girl. Each piece of her arranged to be in its proper spot.</strong>
</p>
<p>With no hesitation or need to communicate, each of the four ‘wise generals’ followed Taiju in bringing their hands together, lowering their heads for a short prayer. After a second, Tsukasa joined them. </p>
<p>
  <strong>“…This is all I can do for you right now…”</strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo pulled his cap lower over his eyes. The edges were all corroded.  </p>
<p>
  <strong>Then he turned to leave.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju trekked through the forest, coming across statues as part of the scenery. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>He drank water from the river along the way.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“As long as the terrain hasn’t changed too much I should be able to follow the river back there…” </em> </strong>
</p>
<p>“Chrome looked uncertain. “Where is he going?”</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju tore some leafy vines from a tree and wrapped them around his waist, regaining some modesty. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“…to that Camphor Tree.”</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>“Would a random tree still be standing after thousands of years?” Tsukasa wondered somberly.</p>
<p>
  <strong>As Taiju continued walking a different image faded into view…</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>A female voice spoke up: </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Huh? Something fell down!”</strong>
</p>
<p>They all looked puzzled, some of them trying to place the unfamiliar voice.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“A stone carving of a bird?”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Asked another girl.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>A stone bird resting on the leaves of a hedge came into view. </strong>
</p>
<p>“It’s just a petrified bird though,” said Chrome, not getting what the big deal was about.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Isn’t whoever made this amazing? It even has feathers it’s so detailed!”</strong>
</p>
<p>“But this is… back in the modern time?” asked Ukyo.</p>
<p>Ryusui got a screwed look in his eyes. “We shouldn’t have had petrified birds back then, or did we?”</p>
<p>
  <strong>In the modern street, phones were promptly taken out and the girls took pictures, still making noises of awe.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“It looks so real.”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-Maybe it<em> is</em> real.”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju, in his school uniform, surprised the girls when he leaned close to look at the stone bird.</strong>
</p>
<p>“Ah,” Gen looked like he’d figured something out. “This is Taiju-chan remembering something.”</p>
<p>
  <strong>“My friend said he saw one like that somewhere else. He posted a picture of it.”</strong>
</p>
<p>“Senku.” Tsukasa’s lips twitched up slightly. “No wonder Taiju figured that out so fast.”</p>
<p>Gen smiled too. “Probably.”</p>
<p>
  <strong>He carefully picked the bird up.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Poor thing. Maybe it is some sort of bird disease that hardens their skin.”</strong>
</p>
<p>There were incredulous looks all around but Ukyo sighed: “It would be nice if that was all it was.”</p>
<p>
  <strong>In the present, Taiju continued walking bare-foot through the forest….</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>In the memory, Taiju arrived at a glass door, breathing heavily. It held a poster with animal pictures and a sign with opening and closing times.</strong>
</p>
<p>The modern timers stared in disbelief.</p>
<p>“Seriously..?” asked Gen.</p>
<p>
  <strong>He held the bird to his chest and stared at the closed door.</strong>
</p>
<p>“It’s kind of him” said Ukyo, sweat dropping.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Of course the animal clinic isn’t going to be open before school starts.”</strong>
</p>
<p>“Animal clinic?” asked Chrome.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju looked up in surprise at the female voice, to find Yuzuriha standing only a few meters away, looking at him.</strong>
</p>
<p>“Yuzuriha-chan has come to act as the voice of reason!” Gen exclaimed with exaggerated happiness.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“You never think things through, do you?” </strong>
</p>
<p>Ryusui grinned, then he turned to Chrome. “It’s a place where they help sick animals.”</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju gaped at her.</strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome also gaped. “Then they could heal petrification there?!”</p>
<p>Ukyo sweat dropped again. “No, they couldn’t.”</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Besides, that carving… There is no way it could be a real bird. And you brought it to an animal clinic?”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>He deflated.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-That looks so stupid,”</strong>
</p>
<p>“That’s brutal.” Chrome was now starting to feel bad for Taiju.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Yuzuriha continued resolutely, looking away.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-It’s embarrassing.”</strong>
</p>
<p>“Poor Taiju-chan,” said Gen. “I didn’t know that Yuzuriha-chan was this merciless.”</p>
<p>
  <strong>She glanced back at him. Taiju was sweating like crazy, looking anywhere but at her.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“Of all people, why does Yuzuriha have to be the one to run into me right when I am acting like an idiot…  Huh?”</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju glanced back at her questioningly.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“Wait… Run into me?”</em> </strong>
</p>
<p><em>“Come to think of it, why would she be here?” </em>Ryusui started to grin.</p>
<p>
  <strong>The girl smiled with a light blush on her face. She held up another stone bird statue.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Yup, and here is another embarrassing kid who didn’t think things through. Imagine that!”</strong>
</p>
<p>They all stared.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju stared at her for a few more seconds, an awed smile growing on his face,  and then he burst into laughter.</strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo, Chrome and Ryusui joined Taiju, each laughing helplessly while Gen and Tsukasa smiled.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Come on, stop laughing!”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Yuzuriha protested.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“You did the same thing. Both of us will definitely be late for school now.”</strong>
</p>
<p>Ryusui’s grin threatened to split his face. “They were obviously made for each other!”</p>
<p>Even when they stopped laughing they still couldn’t stop smiling. This was just so very much like those two…</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju laughingly answered:</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Yeah, you’re right!”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Their laughter faded away and in the present, Taiju walked out of some bushes. </strong>
</p>
<p>The smiles disappeared. The contrast between the memory and Taiju’s current situation, all alone and naked in the wilderness, was too painful.</p>
<p>
  <strong>His eyes widened.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Yuzuriha.”</strong>
</p>
<p>A shiver ran through the group.</p>
<p>
  <strong>He slowly walked into the sunlit clearing.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“I could never mistake you. Even after thousands of years…”</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome shivered again. He’d never heard anyone speak like this. He’d never heard Taiju’s voice like this…</p>
<p>
  <strong>His walk reached a huge tree root, larger than Taiju was tall.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“You’ve been alive haven’t you. Since that day. All this time…”</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>Gen’s eyes were pained.</p>
<p>Next to him Tsukasa bowed his head, his long hair shadowing his eyes.</p>
<p>
  <strong>He finally stopped in front of the gigantic tree. There, held snugly against its trunk by the shrubbery and roots several meters off the ground, was the stone statue of a girl wearing a familiar white hairband. Small green vines curled around her face in little spirals. </strong>
</p>
<p>All of them kept their silence, respectful to Taiju and what this must have meant to him.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju beamed at her.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Good job staying alive! Well done, camphor tree! You protected Yuzuriha from washing away and breaking apart, didn’t you! All this time… ”</strong>
</p>
<p><em>“Could this even be called a miracle?”</em> Gen wondered. <em>“After everything that happened…”</em></p>
<p>
  <strong>The smile left his face and his voice turned serious.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“I’m Sorry, I couldn’t protect you. No…”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju knelt in front of the tree, bowing his head...</strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo felt hollow. Nobody had been able to protect anyone that day. As far as he could see; Taiju had come the closest.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Actually, you were the one who was protecting me, Yuzuriha.” </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Yuzuriha’s stone face stared blankly into the distance…</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“It’s because of you that I was able to stay alive all this time…”</strong>
</p>
<p>Tsukasa’s eyes were shut now.</p>
<p>
  <strong>An image of a stone hand reaching out for the lonely night sky in a dark forest.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“…Alone in that hopeless darkness, for hundreds of years… Thousands of years…”</strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo, Chrome and Gen almost had to look away. They could almost feel the loneliness of it.</p>
<p>Ryusui however, was taking everything in with grim resolve. Taiju may need them to understand this one day.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju raised his head with a smile.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“All right, I can finally say it. Please listen Yuzuriha, To what I was going to say on that day! To the continuation… of that day so very long ago… ”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Tears began to run down his cheeks. </strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome’s tears had also started again.</p>
<p>
  <strong>He sniffled once but his nose kept running and then he just sobbed as he looked at her, his face a picture of utter devastation...</strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo closed his eye. He felt hollow. They should never have seen this.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Images of Yuzuriha turning around to look at him from beneath the tree. The image faded away.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“I’ve loved you. For hunderds of years… Thousands of years…”</strong>
</p>
<p>None of them moved, this was...</p>
<p>Gen’s eyes were shadowed. “It’s so easy to look at Taiju-chan and to see just a stupid teenager with a seemingly never-ending  persistence, isn’t it?”</p>
<p>The statement seemed to echo in the room.</p>
<p>
  <strong>A breeze rustled through the leaves of the huge tree and Taiju slowly rose to his feet.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>When he looked up at Yuzuriha next his eyes had completely changed; burning with intense purpose and utter seriousness.</strong>
</p>
<p>The look pierced every one of them, including Tsukasa who had only just opened his eyes again.</p>
<p>Ryusui smirked slightly. “It seems like the time for despair is over.”</p>
<p>
  <strong>His hand slammed into the tree next to her stone face. Taiju leaned close, looking straight into her stone eyes, and told her:</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“I’m going to save you, Yuzuriha!”</strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome and Ryusui nodded at that.</p>
<p>
  <strong> “-I have no idea how yet, but I will definitely-“</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju broke off his statement, looking at his hand in puzzlement. </strong>
</p>
<p>“Is there something wrong?” asked Chrome.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Carved into the tree trunk, right where his hand touched it, were words…</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> “Follow the river downstream, big oaf.”</strong>
</p>
<p>Most of them stared in surprise. Then Gen spoke up with a smirk and warm eyes:</p>
<p> “And of course Senku-chan would know Taiju-chan’s first destination if he woke up.”</p>
<p>The others looked at the mentalist in surprise. With everything they had seen all of them, except possibly Tsukasa, had forgotten... Forgotten that Taiju hadn’t been the first one to revive…</p>
<p>
  <strong>The view followed the riverbank as it weaved through the landscape… </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju came to a standstill below a low hanging tree branch, breathless from all the running he’d done to get here.  Body heaving as he gulped down air he looked up at the branch.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Heheh…”</strong>
</p>
<p>Ryusui and Tsukasa smirked at that chuckle.</p>
<p>
  <strong>There, on top of the branch, stood Senku, smirking down at Taiju. </strong>
</p>
<p>Each of them took a moment to take in Senku’s appearance.</p>
<p>
  <strong>He too had crack-like scars marring his face. His were symmetrical; mostly vertical cracks that ran across his inner eyebrows and ended just below his eyes. </strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome smiled a small private smile. Senku wasn’t stone. He hadn’t wanted to see his friend like that. Not him. He had a feeling that it would be different from seeing anyone else petrified.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Those were not the only differences. The least being probably that the green-haired teenager now had two loose locks of hair draped in front of his face. </strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo had immediately noticed that the feel this Senku exuded was more like the one they knew… He watched the younger searchingly, not sure what the difference was.</p>
<p><strong>He was clad in a sort of short-sleeved robe made haphazardly out of animal skins. It had E=mc</strong> <strong> <sup>2</sup> </strong> <strong> written in red near his collar. </strong></p>
<p><em>“Has he worn that same thing all this time?”</em> Ryusui wondered, already grinning and making plans to draft Yuzuriha and Francois into improving that. He desired it!</p>
<p>
  <strong>Fastened around his waist were a couple of straps serving as a sort of belt; holding multiple small bundles and pouches. </strong>
</p>
<p>Tsukasa wasn’t paying attention to any superficial changes. His watchful eyes instead took in the badly fed frame and bony arms.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku’s skinny lower arms were bandaged up and tied around his feet were rudimentary shoes, everything seemingly made out of the same material. </strong>
</p>
<p>Gen just watched, eyes knowing.</p>
<p>
  <strong>He was also carrying a bundle of sticks and had a small stone axe in his hand.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“So you’re finally awake, you big oaf.”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>He cracked a small grin.</strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo smiled at seeing the two reunited.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“WHOAAAAH!!!!!”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju clambered up the tree and practically dove at him, tears flying everywhere while Senku’s eyes bulged.</strong>
</p>
<p>They all gaped at the screen.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“YOU WERE ALIVE! SENKUUUUUUUU!!!”</strong>
</p>
<p>“That’s how they reunite?!” yelled Chrome.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju attempted to hug the smaller boy’s waist, weeping noisily, a horrified Senku barely warding him off with his foot.</strong>
</p>
<p>Gen grinned wickedly while all the others around him chuckled or smiled.</p>
<p>“That’s the Taiju-chan we know!”</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Don’t hug me while you’re almost butt naked! I’ll kill you!”</strong>
</p>
<p>Gen was definitely going to use this to make fun of Senku-chan!</p>
<p>
  <strong>Once they were back on the ground Senku let out a deep sigh, rubbing his neck. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Today is October 5<sup>th </sup>of the year 5738…” </strong>
</p>
<p>“How does he know that?” wondered Ukyo. “It’s Senku but…”</p>
<p>That sobered Gen up.</p>
<p>
  <strong>He smiled slightly at Taiju.</strong>
</p>
<p>Tsukasa looked thoughtful. “I’m not sure. Likely by calculating looking at the stars... Yes…”</p>
<p>Chrome looked thoughtful. While it sounded like something that Senku would do, he didn’t think so. He remembered the incident with the ex-north star.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“…You slept in for a hell of a long time. I have been up and working for over six months already.”</strong>
</p>
<p> “Six months huh?” Ryusui said seriously.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju stared at Senku, and then looked down at his fingers as if trying to count…</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“That means… It has been…”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-A good 3700 years have passed.”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Finished Senku. </strong>
</p>
<p>“Yeah…” whispered Ukyo.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju let out a surprised sound.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“How can you tell exactly what date it is?”</strong>
</p>
<p>An anticipation was building in Gen while the others only seemed vaguely curious now.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“I just counted.”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku said nonplussed.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-How else would I know?”</strong>
</p>
<p>Tsukasa, Ryusui, Ukyo and Chrome… didn’t seemed to get it.  Each of their faces clearly expressing their lack of understanding.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju just looked at him, astonished.</strong>
</p>
<p>Gen knew that Taiju, no matter how slow he might seem, did understand. Taiju-chan might not be the quickest when it came to brains but there was no denying that he knew Senku very well.</p>
<p>
  <strong>The darkness seemed to go on forever and Senku’s low voice was counting…</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“Four, five, six…”</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>Tsukasa was the first to comprehend, his eyes widening drastically as he stared at the screen.</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“-seven, eight… HGN!!!”</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>A deep red eye flew open, staring into the darkness.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“Damn, I almost lost consciousness again…” </em> </strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome, Ukyo and Ryusui froze, understanding slamming into them. They hadn’t become known as the ‘wise generals’ by being slow on the uptake…</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“-I reach a peak every 800,000 seconds or so… I guess it’s like having diarrhea…”</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>“Senku…” Whispered Chrome in a mix of awe and horror.</p>
<p>
  <strong>The eye narrowed.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“Think and count at the same time…”</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>A shiver ran through Gen, listening to Senku’s mental voice. Calm, composed and yet full of an undeniable intensity. Even though he’d already known… this was insane.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku’s petrified body lay flat on the ground deep in a forest, overgrown by moss and staring with unseeing stone eyes at the night sky.</strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo and Ryusui unknowingly mirrored each other’s thoughts. <em>“This… was Ishigami Senku.”</em></p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“-Use your brain in parallel… 116,427,065,530 seconds…”</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>Tsukasa’s eyes were still wide, like he’d been struck, and his mind was filled with turmoil.</p>
<p>
  <em>“Senku…”</em>
</p>
<p>Everything he’d known about the scientist had suddenly gained a new dimension.</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“One, Two, three, four, five, six, seven…”</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>The room was silent. Each of them needing more than a moment to let this sink in.  The numbers echoed in their heads...</p>
<p>
  <strong>“In that darkness?”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Asked Taiju as he followed Senku through the sunlit forest. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-The entire time?”</strong>
</p>
<p>“Senku has that tendency for counting…” Ukyo remembered. “he always knows how much time has passed down to the second.”</p>
<p>Ryusui nodded. Yes, Senku did that. It had seemed like just another one of his quirks.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Even if I could have awoken by willpower alone… If I’d woken up naked in the winter trying to find food, that would have been an instant game over.” </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku told the other in a matter-of-fact tone,</strong>
</p>
<p>“And he said that like it’s nothing…” Gen mock complained, aiming for lighthearted.</p>
<p>The others wouldn’t be shaken out of their latest revelation just yet but they started to focus on the screen again.</p>
<p>
  <strong>leading the way with the bundle of sticks back under his arm.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Starting in the spring is an essential requirement for survival. An accurate account of the time was information that I absolutely needed…” </strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome listened to that explanation. As expected, Senku was a sciencer. And… Chrome needed to say something.</p>
<p>
  <strong>They continued walking…</strong>
</p>
<p>“When Senku first told me about the world of 3,700 years ago...” Chrome began quietly, swallowing. “-I thought it meant there used to be lots of people just like him.” Chrome shook his head. “I’d never met anyone like him before but... I guessed that was because he was from a different world and that most people were like him back then. That’s what I used to think.” He glanced at the others. “I met more of you, all different in crazy ways, so I definitely know better now but still…” He looked back at the screen, taking in the green-haired figure of his friend, and grinned in that way he usually reserved for science... “That sure was a stupid thing to think!”</p>
<p>Gen, Ryusui and Ukyo smiled.</p>
<p>Tsukasa didn’t react.</p>
<p>
  <strong>and reached a clearing. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Look, we’re here.”</strong>
</p>
<p>Some of them leaned forward in curiosity but Gen didn’t.</p>
<p>Instead, Gen took this moment to glance towards the ‘strongest primate high schooler’. Tsukasa’s face was blank and his eyes seemed unreadable but Gen had his expertise added to the fact that he had once been a spy in the once-murderer’s camp…  This piece of knowledge about Senku had caused chaos in him… Tsukasa would regain his balance… but maybe not straight away…</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku glanced at Taiju who came to stand next to him.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-Time to stop blabbering and get to work.”</strong>
</p>
<p>Exposure to Senku’s usual personality should help though..!</p>
<p>“The old ‘kingdom of science’ special.” Said Ukyo with a bland smile. “Even before there was a Kingdom of science.”</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju looked up and stopped walking, perplexed.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Senku… did you… build this from scratch?”</strong>
</p>
<p> “This was the beginning of the kingdom though!” Said Ryusui, definitely excited.</p>
<p>Chrome completely understood. He hated it when he missed out on one of their inventions and Ryusui had been the last of their group to be revived by far. He had missed a lot.  </p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku’s destination was a spacious wooden treehouse with a straw roof, build securely on the broad branch of a tree while also leaning on some poles. The dimensions were straight and the construction looked far more structurally sound than anything built by a single amateur teenager had any right to. </strong>
</p>
<p>“That looks stronger than most of the huts in our village.” Chrome mumbled as he tried to imagine how he’d go about building such a thing if he had to do it without help.</p>
<p>None of them voiced anything but they all were familiar with Senku’s lack of physical prowess.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku didn’t answer Taiju, instead he continued towards the treehouse.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“I don’t have enough manpower. Just producing the bare minimum to keep myself alive takes all day.”</strong>
</p>
<p>The casually worded statement caused a couple of thoughtful glances in the group.</p>
<p>Tsukasa looked up, dark eyes sharpening.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Beneath the treehouse stood a supply of spears and several large clay jars, one of them filled with mushrooms. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“In order to advance civilization, I absolutely need a big, muscle-bound stamina-idiot.”</strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo smiled. “That <em>would</em> be what he’d be worried about.”</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku climbed the ladder to his treehouse and then turned around to look at Taiju, who still stood in the same spot.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“I’ve been waiting for you this whole time, Taiju. I knew with ten billion percent certainty that you were still alive.”</strong>
</p>
<p>Those words from Senku struck them speechless for all it implied…</p>
<p>
  <strong>He glared down at Taiju, his dark red eyes burning with emotion.</strong>
</p>
<p>None of them had expected this. None of that supposed mindreading was happening this time either.</p>
<p>This was Senku. Shadows as well as fire in his red eyes. Raw, passionate, desperately trusting in Taiju and <em>emotional</em>. And different from the one they knew in that he didn’t hold back <em>any of it</em>.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“There is no way that a man who was so intent on confessing to Yuzuriha would weakly give in after just a few thousand years...” </strong>
</p>
<p>Tsukasa stared. If Senku had said this to anyone else it would have sounded ridiculous, even insulting. But here… it was only trust on a ridiculous level.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju had closed his eyes, his face set with intense concentration.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-That is not who you are, is it!?!” </strong>
</p>
<p>And Tsukasa knew… Taiju would answer it. He’d truly taken that bond far too lightly, hadn’t he?</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Yeah…”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju looked back at him, his determination mirroring Senku’s.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Of course not!”</strong>
</p>
<p>“It’s fitting,” said Gen softly, “that those two were the first.”</p>
<p>
  <strong>Night was falling and Senku was twisting a stick in a log using a bow… Smoke started to rise from it… </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju’s voice continued: </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> “-I’m counting on you to do the thinking, Senku…”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Next To him Taiju, now also dressed in animal skins of a slightly darker color, was using a stone axe to chop wood. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-You can count on me to do the heavy lifting!”</strong>
</p>
<p>“Yes,” said Ukyo, thinking about what Ryusui said earlier. “This is how it began. This is how the kingdom of science works.”</p>
<p>
  <strong>A fire burst into existence, shapes flickering in the flames…</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku spoke: </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> “It took humanity two million years to get from the stone age to the modern age. We are going to sprint all the way back to the top. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>The firelight reflected in the teen’s strange red eyes as he said this as if stating a gleeful inevitability.</strong>
</p>
<p>Ryusui grinned widely. This confirmed it once more. This was the man he desired to work with. Senku had stated his desire from the very start, when the very idea should have sounded beyond ridiculous.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“We are going to take the world back. And I’ll figure out the science behind the petrification and our revival.”</strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome smirked at that challenge. They were halfway there!</p>
<p>
  <strong>On the other side of the fire, Taiju’s eyes reflected that same fire back at him.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“And save Yuzuriha.”</strong>
</p>
<p>“And save everyone.” Ukyo corrected Taiju. He smiled and his eyes were glinting under his cap, strong and mischievous.</p>
<p>
  <strong>When Senku spoke again the image of a rocket came into view. </strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome’s eyes started to shine and he opened his mouth to ask.</p>
<p>“That’s a rocket.” Gen said with a smile.</p>
<p>
  <em>This was what they were going to build…</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“We, a couple of high school brats, are going to create civilization from scratch…”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>An unholy grin appeared on Senku’s face, the cracks intensifying the effect.</strong>
</p>
<p>Gen, Ryusui, Ukyo and Chrome answered his grin in kind.</p>
<p>Tsukasa looked between them and the screen uncertainly before sighing with a slight smile. He continued watching.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“ We are going to become the Adam and Eve of this stone world.” </strong>
</p>
<p>Wait, what?!</p>
<p>
  <strong>“This is exhilarating.”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>[Break - 5:00]</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>AN: I’ve heard it said, by many people, that Senku doesn’t actually develop as a character at all and stays exactly the same throughout the series. I’d like to take this opportunity to say that I disagree! In him it’s just harder to spot because Senku only very rarely gives voice to his feelings and the things that personally trouble him.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Intermission - Gen</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Gen reveals what he knows and starts scheming...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>[Break 4:52]</strong>
</p>
<p>No-one had said a word since the new countdown had appeared on the screen.</p>
<p>Gen’s glance slid over his companions, taking in the blank faces and troubled eyes. While the last minutes of footage had improved things somewhat, the events they’d witnessed had still left them emotionally wrung out. Even Tsukasa, who loved the stone world far more than he’d likely ever loved their old one, was having trouble. That broadcast had managed to create a lot of turmoil within a span of what couldn’t have been more than fifteen minutes.</p>
<p>Gen narrowed his eyes. And instead of getting some time and space to regain their emotional equilibrium, what they received was essentially Why-man’s version of a ‘commercial break’.</p>
<p>Gen didn’t like it but he guessed it was his turn to step up.</p>
<p>His face transformed into a happy-go-lucky smile.</p>
<p>“So… I know what Why-man is planning! This sure is an interesting way to go about it! Seriously.”</p>
<p>His statement drew quite a bit of attention.</p>
<p>He internally smirked. This wasn’t the time for them to get stuck in their own heads. The episode would start again soon.</p>
<p>Chrome reacted first: “Hey Gen! What do you mean by that?”</p>
<p>Gen smirked openly now.</p>
<p>“Our mysterious entity is going to turn us against Senku-chan! This ‘documentary’ will make us resent him to the point that we’ll happily get rid of him ourselves and afterwards Why-man will simply wait for the Kingdom of Science to implode!”</p>
<p>The others gaped at him. That was always a fun reaction. Ever since he’d met Senku, Gen had been doing too much of the gaping himself. Not the most becoming for a mentalist but he supposed he’d gotten somewhat used to it.</p>
<p>He sighed and decided to turn serious. He fixed his eyes onto the only stone-age human in the room.</p>
<p>“Chrome-chan, do you remember why you reckoned Why-man was imitating Senku’s voice to try and activate the Medusa?”</p>
<p>Chrome nodded: “Yeah… I still can’t decide if Why-man is really crafty or really stupid. If they wanted to use Senku’s method of activating the Medusa by transmitting the command, it should be obvious they wouldn’t need his actual voice after all…”</p>
<p>Gen smiled at him.</p>
<p>“The answer to that… is neither. What Why-man is, is methodical and very, very literal.”</p>
<p>The others didn’t seem to get what he was talking about. Correction. <em>Most</em> of the others didn’t seem to get what he was talking about. Ryusui had a glint in his eyes that made Gen suspect that he was starting to get the idea.</p>
<p>He decided to elaborate. ”People think differently. That doesn’t necessarily make those people especially intelligent or stupid. In the old world there were plenty of well-known cases of individuals who could solve the most complex of problems in minutes, but were for example entirely incapable of understanding metaphors or sarcasm…”</p>
<p>Chrome looked stunned at that idea. The other three however now understood what the mentalist was getting at.</p>
<p>Gen sighed. “We already know that Why-man can monitor our communications. And lo and behold, a week or two back, me and Senku-chan had this nice little talk over the phone! We had fun discussing how a decently made documentary about our dear leader would lead to the people revolting, Senku-chan’s incarceration or death and the complete collapse of the kingdom of science!”</p>
<p>The others stared at him, completely dumfounded.</p>
<p>Then Ryusui burst into a boisterous laughter while next to him Chrome stood up, yelling in outrage: “Like that would ever happen!”</p>
<p>Ukyo slumped into his seat with an incredulous sigh.</p>
<p>“And while you and Senku might not have meant a word you said during that entire conversation, Why-man listened in and decided on this insanely detailed and well-executed plan based on badly misunderstood information .”</p>
<p>Gen smiled grimly.</p>
<p>“That seems to be the case… We still shouldn’t underestimate this. I haven’t been able to figure out much about Why-man’s mentality beyond this little detail after all..."</p>
<p>Ryusui slapped him on the back.</p>
<p>“Hahaha! This is plenty!”</p>
<p>Tsukasa didn’t look as lighthearted at the new information.</p>
<p>“This makes the enemy even more unpredictable though… Yes… Possibly even a bigger threat.”</p>
<p>The captain’s exuberance died down some and he nodded to Tsukasa more seriously.</p>
<p>“True. And once Why-man has a way to instantly eliminate us, we will get no warning. That much has certainly been made clear.”</p>
<p>He didn’t have to spell out what event he was talking about...</p>
<p>
  <em>“12,800,000 meters… One second.”</em>
</p>
<p>Gen sighed as the others started discussing things further, even Tsukasa taking part. As he relaxed in his chair he started musing to himself:</p>
<p>
  <em>“The one good thing about all this… while this may make it even harder to understand Why-man,  Why-man seems to be equally limited in understanding us. That will make the apparent ability of plucking our very thoughts  out of our heads a lot less terrifying than it could be.”</em>
</p>
<p>Gen’s eyes narrowed in further contemplation.</p>
<p>
  <em>“But for this ‘documentary’… That ability is also what makes it so dangerous… People’s thoughts haven’t played a large role until now, I would almost say they’ve mostly been used as a cute extra gimmick. But if footage claiming it could give a true glimpse of every negative or ugly thought that happened to pop into our leader’s head became freely available… That could create quite a bit of chaos. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> The fact that Why-man’s plan is based on bad info doesn’t mean it will automatically fail after all… Seriously, what have you dragged me into this time, Senku-chan?”</em>
</p>
<p>Just as Gen got ready to start on a nice internal rant about all the work this documentary would create for him, the door popped open.</p>
<p>Something seemingly small, green and round ran into the room an came to an excited stop at Ryusui’s chair.</p>
<p>“Are you watching the tee vee?” squealed a small high-pitched voice. “Suika wants to watch too!”</p>
<p>The little girl was eagerly looking up at them through her watermelon rind.</p>
<p>Ah, no. Suika-chan was not watching even a minute of this so-called documentary. Not with the number of deaths they’d already witnessed on the thing.</p>
<p>Gen grimaced internally and send a glance at the screen.</p>
<p>
  <strong>[Break 1:36]</strong>
</p>
<p>Not that much time left before things started up again.</p>
<p>He exchanged a look with Ryusui and the captain gave him a slight nod before facing Suika to grin down at her.</p>
<p>“Why-man sent us something bad to watch, but we’ll handle it. Never mind that now!”</p>
<p>His grin widened and he snapped his fingers.</p>
<p>“Instead Suika, what we need most is to get Taiju here! Could you help us find out where he is? We know that you are always the best one to ask!”</p>
<p>Suika immediately piped up, standing at attention as if giving a report.</p>
<p>“This morning Taiju went out to get more coal for the furnaces with Kinro and Magma. He should be back soon!”</p>
<p>She apparently needed to hear no more and immediately turned, running back out the door.</p>
<p>“Suika will go find him and make sure he comes straight here! I’m definitely going to be useful..!”</p>
<p>Ukyo sighed as he went to close the door behind her.</p>
<p>“Good thinking. With what we’ve guessed about the motivations behind this footage it’s less likely to be fake but still… it’s better to check.”</p>
<p>“But…” said Chrome thoughtfully, “Now that we know that, do we even need to watch more? We more or less already know what’s coming, right? Wouldn’t continuing this be playing into Why-man’s hands?”</p>
<p>That was a surprise. Chrome was one of the most curious people in their entire kingdom after all.</p>
<p>“We told Senku we’d watch the broadcast,” said Ukyo softly. “There are still too many questions and it’s better to be sure of our observations. We should at least finish this ‘episode’…”</p>
<p>He paused for a moment.</p>
<p>“And we’ll need to call him after that...”</p>
<p>Several weighty looks were exchanged at that statement...</p>
<p>Ryusui’s face still morphed into a wide, greedy grin. “Regardless,” he said. “I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. I desire to see it all!”</p>
<p>Ukyo, Chrome and Tsukasa all had interesting reactions to that statement but Gen only smiled.</p>
<p>He was aware that there were many things wrong with what Ryusui had just said and the others could protest if they wanted but the fact was…</p>
<p>Gen also wasn’t planning to stop watching anytime soon. He glanced at the screen again.</p>
<p>
  <strong>[Break 0:28]</strong>
</p>
<p>Risks aside, Gen had something he wanted to use this ‘documentary’ to figure out.</p>
<p>He thought back to the highly emotional and passionate Senku he’d just witnessed. The way his eyes had burned. How effortlessly he’d displayed he cared. Where had it gone? When it came to science, Senku showed passion and excitement aplenty and when it came down to it he was always brutally honest. It was the partial reason for their current predicament after all. Beyond that though…  Gen knew that Senku felt things deeply, but he never admitted it when he did. His external reactions to those emotions, he held them back, usually with unwavering control. Gen had never known a Senku who didn’t attempt to hide how much he cared, no matter how easy it usually was to see through...  </p>
<p>The incident they’d just been shown had technically been a small thing and could easily have been a fluke… a singularity that only happened because of the reunion with Taiju and the fact that Senku's childhood friend was his only witness. The thing is, Gen didn’t think so. The mentalist had known for a long time that the Senku from before the petrification couldn’t have been identical to the one he knew now. Not that he’d thought the high school genius had been a completely different person, but after having spent thousands of years counting in total darkness, it was impossible for him to be unchanged. Gen thought of the shadows that often appeared in those distinctive red eyes.</p>
<p>But now he had an inkling that there was more to it than that. More had happened to Senku after he’d been revived that was affecting him to this day and Gen wasn’t going to leave it alone.</p>
<p>
  <strong>[Break 0:04]</strong>
</p>
<p>The others’ talk died, focusing their attention back to the screen.</p>
<p>Gen smirked a sly smirk.</p>
<p>Poking at the psyches of those around him was a mentalist’s job after all.</p>
<p>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>AN: I know from my immense experience as a fanfiction <em>reader</em> that intermissions can easily become very boring so... I hope everyone isn't too disappointed with this chapter! The second half of episode 1 will be posted in the next chapter! Thanks a lot for all the amazing reviews! I really hope you guys will continue to give me feedback. Since I'm still so new at the writing part of fanfiction this helps a lot!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Episode 1 Part 2: Fantasy vs Science</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Time to finish the first episode..!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>[Break 0:00]</strong>
</p>
<p>Five pairs of eyes stared fixedly at the screen…</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju ran through the forest with a smile on his face. On his back was a large basket filled with various mushrooms, plants and a dead piglet.</strong>
</p>
<p>A large amount of tension evaporated from the room and Chrome slumped all the way back into his chair. This didn’t look too bad…  </p>
<p>“It seems he went scavenging,” said Ukyo with a small smile. He remembered back in Tsukasa’s Empire, this had been one of Taiju’s more regular jobs.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Back at the clearing he put the basket down in front of an almost disturbed looking Senku. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“The amount is amazing at least…”</strong>
</p>
<p>Gen snickered lightly.  It seemed that early on, even Senku-chan could be surprised by how absurd Taiju was.</p>
<p>Ryusui grinned widely, he was not planning to miss anything!</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju stood smiling proudly.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> “-what kind of cheat gave you that stamina, Taiju?”</strong>
</p>
<p>“Something as ridiculous as Taiju’s stamina is a Cheat..?” Chrome wondered aloud, then he continued mumbling. “So Tsukasa’s strength and Ukyo’s hearing…”</p>
<p>Tsukasa and Ukyo both twitched.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju opened his eyes at the sound of the other doing something and gaped in protest.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku was rapidly sorting through his haul, carelessly chucking the majority of it away in another large basket. </strong>
</p>
<p>“What is he doing?” Tsukasa sounded vaguely curious.</p>
<p>Gen threw his hands up into the air. “Seems Senku-chan is deeming the majority fit to throw out!”</p>
<p>
  <strong>Pictures of mushrooms and plants rapidly shifted in and out of view.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Amanita Virosa: poisonous…”</strong>
</p>
<p>“Ah…” nodded Tsukasa.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-Buna Shimeji: edible. Amanita Muscaria: poisonous…”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>A mushroom, bright red with white spots had appeared.</strong>
</p>
<p>The entire group sweat dropped.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-Can’t you tell this one’s bad? It looks like it came straight out of Mario! Next...”</strong>
</p>
<p>Ryusui laughed uproariously while Chrome muttered: “Mario?”</p>
<p>
  <strong>The pictures continued.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> “-Mugworth: edible. Monkshood…” </strong>
</p>
<p>“Should we be relieved that nobody was poisoned while Taiju was with the empire?” asked Ukyo, twitching slightly.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-Who are you trying to kill? Idiot.”</strong>
</p>
<p>Gen stared dully at the screen. “Worse… back at the beginning Taiju-chan was the one who pointed it out to us when people brought back plants that weren’t edible… It looks more and more like it’s thanks to Senku-chan that Tsukasa-chan’s Empire didn’t finish itself off within the first few weeks… Seriously.”</p>
<p>Ukyo and Chrome threw wary glances Tsukasa’s way but the longhaired man didn’t react to the statement, seemingly distracted.</p>
<p>
  <strong>The multiple mushrooms and the meat from the piglet stood roasting by the fire, skewered on sticks. </strong>
</p>
<p>“Regardless…” said Tsukasa finally, in a heavy voice, “Having Taiju there to help gather food should make a difference... Senku is too thin. His bones are visible.“</p>
<p>Ryusui nodded, his eyes dark and thoughtful. “Senku said it earlier… Gathering the bare minimum to keep himself alive took him all day. The bare minimum wouldn’t be enough to keep him well fed.”</p>
<p>Chrome looked pensive even as one of his hands curled into a fist. He was no stranger to hunger, nobody from Ishigami village was, but hunger was usually something they all suffered through together. He hated the idea that Senku had starved on his own.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju, sitting next to the fire, took a large bite out of a mushroom-on-a-stick, making satisfied noises.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“It’s good! How did you season this?”</strong>
</p>
<p>“He took the time to get seasoning though?” asked Ukyo, surprised. That had been one of those frivolous things they hadn’t seen much of a need for back in the empire, especially early on.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku , who sat facing him on the other side of the fire, was sprinkling something onto his own mushrooms. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“It’s just salt that I pulled from the seawater.”</strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome managed a small grin at that. Salt was something they’d been using in the village long before Senku had come along.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-Humans can enjoy just about anything with a bit of salt. It’s important for food preservation too. You could say it’s prehistoric man’s greatest discovery.”</strong>
</p>
<p>Most of them were smiling now and Gen’s eyes had turned softer. This was a Senku they were all very familiar with, that spark as he took the time to explain even the most basic of scientific details.  Senku’s body definitely looked malnourished, Tsukasa was right about that, but…</p>
<p>
  <em>“Senku-chan has the know-how and Taiju-chan never gathers the ‘bare minimum’ of anything. They should have a more decent food supply after this.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju smiled brightly at the other.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Thanks, Senku. For everything! I’m going to make up for the thinking I can’t do with brute force and diligence!”</strong>
</p>
<p>Tsukasa’s lips twitched upwards. “He would… Yes…”</p>
<p>
  <strong>He stuffed the rest of his food into his mouth and took off again with the basket.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-Time to scavenge the other side!”</strong>
</p>
<p>“Go for it!” Ryusui encouraged with his classic grin, teeth gleaming... “Soon you’ll bring back a haul that’s only half poisonous!”</p>
<p>Ukyo sweat dropped. Ryusui’s statement had sounded completely sincere.</p>
<p>
  <strong> Senku waved a casual goodbye as he continued to eat.</strong>
</p>
<p>“Taiju is in a really good mood though.” Ukyo observed.</p>
<p>“Well, he was finally free wasn’t he? Why shouldn’t he be?” asked Chrome. </p>
<p>The former sonar operator didn’t answer, not particularly feeling like contemplating his own ‘adjustment period’ to the stone world… and thanks to the sharpness of his ears, he’d been acutely aware that he hadn’t been the only one having problems.</p>
<p>Gen glanced at him, eyes far too knowing. “It’s like Chrome-chan says. Taiju-chan was finally free after being confined for that long… and he’s the type that does well when he has something to work on. The rest of us… From our perspective we were as good as randomly dropped into the stone world one day. He and Senku aren’t the same as us…” </p>
<p>His thoughts didn’t end there though…<em> “They aren’t… but the after effects of the insanity that they went through, are unlikely to be lesser... and even amongst normal revivals there were some… exceptional reactions.”</em> the mentalist glanced at Ryusui who hadn’t stopped grinning wildly at the screen.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Large purple grapes were growing in a slightly more shadowed part of the forest.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Oh, they’re wild.”</strong>
</p>
<p>“Nice!” Chrome grinned. “Looks like just the right time for harvesting.”</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju reached to pick a bunch.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Are these edible? Thinking won’t help. Eating some will!”</strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo sweat dropped… again… it may actually become a habit. “Didn’t Senku just finish telling him that things that aren’t edible have a decent chance of being poisonous?”</p>
<p>
  <strong>With no hesitation he put multiple grapes into his mouth… And his face immediately contorted. Taiju made repulsed noises as he spit out the grapes, trying to get rid of the taste.  </strong>
</p>
<p>Ryusui chuckled at Taiju’s expression while Chrome looked surprised. “Did he get a bad bunch?”</p>
<p>Gen shook his head with a sigh. “Taiju-chan probably thought he was getting our nice, sweet, cultivated grapes. The taste probably wasn’t quite what he expected!”</p>
<p>By the looks on Ukyo and Ryusui’s faces they’d had their own experiences with this phenomenon. Tsukasa’s face was tellingly blank.</p>
<p>
  <strong>When he looked up again, his eyes fell on a striking statue. It was a tall, powerfully built young man with long hair, sitting at the base of a large tree.</strong>
</p>
<p>Ryusui looked closely and then grinned. “Tsukasa!”</p>
<p>If he’d paid more attention to his companions, he might have noticed the complicated expressions on everyone else’s faces as they took in the statue. Tsukasa himself was no exception…</p>
<p>
  <strong>  “I’ve seen him on TV before…”</strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome swallowed. Looking at Tsukasa’s statue gave him an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. He tried to push past it. “Tsukasa was shown on televisions in the old world?”</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-He’s the ‘strongest primate high-schooler’, Shishio Tsukasa…”</strong>
</p>
<p>Gen nodded, a bland smile pasted instantly on his face. “Tsukasa-chan was a celebrity like Lillian-chan and that was his nickname!”</p>
<p>Tsukasa sighed and smiled slightly. “You were one too, Gen...”</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-It even happened to him?”</strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo’s cap was shadowing his eyes. No, Tsukasa hadn’t been special in this… And Ukyo found he was profoundly glad for it.</p>
<p>
  <strong>The cave that had been Taiju’s point of revival looked as it did before. </strong>
</p>
<p>“Aaaand, we’re back at the miracle cave!” Gen noted, seemingly lighthearted.</p>
<p>Ryusui glanced at him with an analytical gaze. Regardless of Gen’s tone of voice, it seemed that the name ‘miracle cave’ hadn’t been lightly given.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju walked inside, looking around. The bats were still on the ceiling and the yellow fluid was still dripping down except…</strong>
</p>
<p>Ryusui’s eyes widened in realization. “The dripping hasn’t stopped...”</p>
<p>Tsukasa’s eyes meanwhile, became even harder to read at the sight.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“This is…”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>A clay jar stood on the floor of the cave, catching the dripping liquid. It was already almost full.</strong>
</p>
<p>The captain’s grin threatened to split his face now. “This is where you scallywags got the nitric acid to make the revival fluid!”</p>
<p>Chrome grinned back, equally excited. His opinion hadn’t changed. He still thought that they should stop watching. But disregarding that, he was really looking forward to seeing how Senku and Taiju would use the nitric acid!</p>
<p>Ukyo and Gen however, felt more conflicted. An entire war had centered around the possession of this cave...</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju roared with surprise. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“WHOAH!!! Someone besides me and Senku has survived!” </strong>
</p>
<p>“Really?! BAAAAAD!” Yelled Chrome.</p>
<p>Tsukasa reacted to that, looking blankly in the young sciencer’s direction.</p>
<p>
  <strong>He grinned widely. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Who left it here?!”</strong>
</p>
<p>“No… Nobody else had been revived…” Tsukasa answered, certain he would have known if such a person had existed.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Behind him, Senku answered:</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“I did, idiot.”</strong>
</p>
<p>Tsukasa’s lips twitched upwards.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju stiffened in obvious surprise, and dramatically turned around.</strong>
</p>
<p>“IT WAS HIM!” Chrome pointed accusingly.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“IT WAS YOU?!”</strong>
</p>
<p>Ryusui and Gen smirked while Ukyo pulled down his cap to hide his smile.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Then he quieted down.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-Are there really no other humans left in the world?”</strong>
</p>
<p>Their amusement immediately died down.</p>
<p>“We were here though… ” said Chrome quietly, not sounding at all cocky about his knowledge of this basic truth, knowledge that his fellow scientist, his friend, had lacked. Looking at the world from Senku and Taiju’s perspective… they easily could have been the only people there... </p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku came to stand beside him, also looking at the fluid.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“We’ll get more humans. That’s a top priority.”</strong>
</p>
<p>The soft, serious tone of Senku’s voice made them unconsciously take notice. Tsukasa leaned forward slightly.</p>
<p>
  <strong>He gave Taiju a sardonic look.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“What future does humanity have with just us two dudes trudging along?”</strong>
</p>
<p>That made them laugh, just slightly, and Gen smirked. “Probably an interesting one, though it might be a bit short.”</p>
<p>
  <strong>“That’s true.”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Besides…”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku moved towards the stone fragments that had been left on the ground. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“…after 3,700 years, why exactly did our petrification dissolve now?”</strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome stilled, his eyes wide and his mouth forming into and ‘oh’. The science of this question… He clenched his fists.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“The stone rotted?”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Yeah. Supposing that this weird mineral was corroded…”</strong>
</p>
<p>Ryusui grinned again, he had a reason! “His desire… is to figure out de-petrification!”</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Senku picked up a larger stone fragment and waved it in front of his face.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-isn’t is suspicious that the two of us got out at almost the same time?” </strong>
</p>
<p>Tsukasa listened intently. He had gained a firm understanding of Senku early on, had observed him carefully, but his former adversary had rarely shared his thought process with him…</p>
<p>
  <strong>He grinned at Taiju.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-Only six months apart after 3,700 years.” </strong>
</p>
<p>Though the question had a fairly obvious answer, Ukyo still leaned forward, more interested than he’d expected to be.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-There’s a logical explanation behind every coincidence.”</strong>
</p>
<p>Next to the archer, a shiver ran through Chrome. That was something Senku had told him early on, back when he’d still been calling himself a ‘sorcerer’.</p>
<p>
  <strong>He looked at the ceiling.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-Both You and I washed up near this cave and...” </strong>
</p>
<p><em>“Huh?”</em> The sciencer’s dark eyes narrowed, distracted for a moment… He’d explored so many caves that he’d long since lost count but… he didn’t think he’d ever seen statues inside one… He wildly shook his head and forcefully focused back on the screen.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-Look at that stuff dripping from up there.”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>The yellow liquid continued to drip into the jar. The ceiling was literally covered with bats. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-It’s the miracle liquid made from bat guano… Nitric acid.”</strong>
</p>
<p>Anticipation entered Ryusui’s grin. This was it! This is what he wanted to see.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju shouted:</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“What?! NITRIC ACID?!”</strong>
</p>
<p>Gen smiled. “If everyone knows about something, then someone had to have figured it out first…”</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-but what is THAT?!”</strong>
</p>
<p>“-That’s how science works... Seriously.” Gen sighed in mock-resignation at his own words. There he was again, he really was a citizen of the kingdom of science. This was all Senku-chan’s fault.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“I knew you’d say that, you big oaf.”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Said Senku as they walked back out of the cave.</strong>
</p>
<p>Tsukasa’s face softened. His darker mood, starting when Taiju re-entered the cave, lifting slightly. <em>“Honestly, that pair…”</em></p>
<p>
  <strong>“I’m not gonna waste my time explaining even the gist of it.”</strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome slumped, disappointed. He wanted him to explain damn it!</p>
<p>Senku had only just started but Chrome could already tell… that this was something different from their usual science. This was Senku figuring out something new, which shouldn’t be that special except that it was..! For most of the science they did together, they used knowledge which Senku had mastered years ago, the difficulty laying in adapting it to the stone world. <em>This was different</em>. This was Senku feeling around, stumbling in the dark, starting from scratch, like Chrome…</p>
<p>
  <em>“I want to see it Senku… what your science is like!”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Some nitric acid was poured over a stone swallow, positioned on a tree stump. </strong>
</p>
<p>The young sciencer immediately perked back up, eyes gleaming.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju spoke up:</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“So that means that if we use this something-or-other acid, the stone will decay and they will revive?”</strong>
</p>
<p>It wouldn’t, they already knew that. Still… each of them paid close attention to the bird.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku finished pouring the liquid onto the small statue.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“It would be nice if things were that simple...”</strong>
</p>
<p>“It isn’t…” said Ukyo, but he couldn’t keep himself from thinking: <em>“But maybe… it did work for Taiju. And possibly for Senku…</em></p>
<p>
  <strong>The stone bird stayed a stone bird.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Both Senku and Taiju stared at it like their intensity would somehow force it to change.</strong>
</p>
<p>Gen’s gaze, for no reason immediately apparent, <em>changed</em>.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Finally Taiju heaved a huge sigh and Senku let himself drop to the ground, sitting behind the stump. </strong>
</p>
<p>The mentalist’s eyes took in everything Senku did with a sharp scrutiny.</p>
<p> The way Senku had just casually let himself collapse, frustrated with his failure...  Gen had never seen him do that before, not during any of their many scientific endeavors. In fact; the times he’d seen Senku be less than completely confident when it came to science could be counted on one hand… each of them under fairly dire circumstances. It didn’t tend to matter to the scientist how many failed attempts he had to go through...  </p>
<p>
  <strong>They were in front of a hut on the edge of their clearing. It was of similar built and size to the one in the tree. Above its entry hung a small sign that said ‘laboratory’. </strong>
</p>
<p>“So he’d already built a laboratory for himself?!” Ryusui asked retorically, his eyes inquisitive.</p>
<p>Tsukasa nodded, contemplating it. “Yes… But I wasn’t aware that he built it on his own…”</p>
<p>
  <strong>“I’ve been trying like a madman…”</strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo wondered what that had looked like. Senku, trying like a madman… A shiver ran through him.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku took the bird into the hut, Taiju following him inside with his basket still on his back.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-using every method available to me.”</strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome nodded, paying close attention. This lab might not be much compared to the one they’d built together outside of Ishigami village, but it was Senku. He would have thought of things to try...</p>
<p>
  <strong>Inside the hut there was a wooden work table along with shelves everywhere. Many of them were filled with clay jars and small pots. Different rocks and various crudely made tools were scattered around.</strong>
</p>
<p>The mentalist had been inside that laboratory before… back when Tsukasa had tasked him with figuring out the mentality of the man he’d murdered, by studying his previous surroundings.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju stopped in surprise. </strong>
</p>
<p>Gen’s eyes were warm. After all… there had been a reason that asking him to basically ‘get to know’ Senku had been a huge mistake.</p>
<p>
  <strong>The shelves covering the back wall of the laboratory were filled with stone swallows. </strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome whispered. “Baaaad…”</p>
<p>He’d never bothered to try gathering the stone birds when he went out collecting but he knew that they were not easy to find.</p>
<p>Next to him Ukyo had startled slightly too.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“…So many times… dozens of times…”</strong>
</p>
<p>Ryusui nodded. Each of them knew Senku’s tenacity, and he wasn’t close to done.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku put the swallow back on a shelve amongst its fellows. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-This is in the realm of fantasy to begin with. Is it mineral? Is it cellular? </strong>
</p>
<p>That was a good point. The words had hooked them. And Tsukasa… Had never truly contemplated it. How long had it taken Senku in the end?</p>
<p>
  <strong>At this point I don’t even have the equipment to find out. “</strong>
</p>
<p>So what path had Senku and Taiju walked before the first person had come to be revived? Ukyo wanted to know… And… his lips quirked. He wanted to know the science of it.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju noted seriously:</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“So there are things in this world that even science can’t explain?”</strong>
</p>
<p>Ryusui and Chrome both pulled faces and Gen caught himself doing the same. It couldn’t be helped. When one was around Senku-chan, Science was unfortunately contagious.</p>
<p>
  <strong>He was surprised when Senku started laughing.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“There we go again with that tired cliché!” </strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome was confused: “Huh? cliché?”</p>
<p>Ryusui answered him with a grin and no hesitation. “A cliché that you’ll never come across in the Kingdom of Science!”</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku turned to his friend with a smirk.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“That’s why you hypothesize and experiment over and over. Science is a slow process.”</strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome nodded firmly. For Ishigami village everything had been changing so very fast… but science done without pre-knowledge could apparently take a really long time…</p>
<p>Next to him Ukyo’s focus sharpened. He wanted to remember this. And possibly… record it and share it with the kids when they started the science classes up again...</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-If only I had liquor though…”</strong>
</p>
<p>Though maybe not this part..?</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku said that last part in a sigh. Taiju looked at him curiously.</strong>
</p>
<p>Tsukasa anticipated what was coming next...  </p>
<p>
  <strong>In the background behind Senku cartoonish pictures of Bat poop and a bottle of wine appeared.</strong>
</p>
<p>Gen stared for a second. Sometimes… Why-man made it very hard to keep his guard up…</p>
<p>
  <strong>Written by it was:</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>[C2H5OH (ethanol) + HNO3 (nitric acid)]</strong>
</p>
<p>“E-ta-nol… plus…” Chrome read aloud, and then he got stuck. “what’s that other word?”</p>
<p>Ryusui glanced at him. “It says Nitric Acid!” Behind his grin, the captain made a mental note that Chrome could read Kana, but that if he knew any Kanji, it was likely very limited.<strong><em>*1*</em></strong></p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku continued explaining:</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“If I had liquor with alcohol in it, I could combine the nitric acid and ethanol to make nital!”</strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo was taking mental notes. He wished they had brought some writing materials to this room. For now, he’d focus on watching… If necessary, he’d be able to use the recording later…</p>
<p>
  <strong>The background showed a bottle with a label that said Nital.</strong>
</p>
<p>“That means; it had a name in the old world?” asked Chrome, “The revival fluid…”</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-It’s literally an industrial-strength etching agent.”’</strong>
</p>
<p>Tsukasa hummed. “It seems so…” The modern timers also took in this new information…</p>
<p>
  <strong>“What did you just say, Senku?”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Huh?”</strong>
</p>
<p>“Huh?” The five watching were also confused.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku looked surprised at Taiju’s question.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“I said nital. It gets into the ferrite grain boundary and…”</strong>
</p>
<p>Everyone in the room was now clearly lost.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-Not that! I don’t understand all of that complex stuff...”</strong>
</p>
<p>“Don’t worry Taiju-chan, you’re not alone in that,” commented Gen wryly.</p>
<p>Chrome nodded frantically. Sometimes he really wished Senku would slow down, Possibly using smaller words!</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-If only you had alcohol?”</strong>
</p>
<p>The soft smile Tsukasa had been so well known for in his own ‘empire’ appeared on his face.  </p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku looked at him, his eyes wide. Taiju held out his hands, both of them filled with grapes. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Couldn’t we make wine out of grapes?”</strong>
</p>
<p>The others also started smiling in low-key excitement. Never mind that making wine was a well-known process in the kingdom of science..!</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku looked perplexed. Then he grinned up at Taiju. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Not bad, you big oaf!”</strong>
</p>
<p>“Nicely done, Taiju!” Ryusui crowed in delight. This was a two-man show after all!  </p>
<p>
  <strong>The background music swelled. </strong>
</p>
<p>“By the way… I’ve been wondering about this for a while now…” Chrome began, a bit unsure. “-but where is that strange music coming from? Do you think it’s because of Why-man?”</p>
<p>
  <strong>It was twilight and Senku sat on a tree trunk in front of the laboratory, </strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo nodded his head, his cap shadowing his eyes. “Probably. It’s called a ‘soundtrack’, music that gets added to video recordings to ‘set the mood’ and make them more exciting.” Ukyo’s voice iced over for those last few words.</p>
<p>Chrome shivered and focused back on the screen.“</p>
<p>
  <strong>he was squeezing grapes between his fingers and catching the juice in a bowl. </strong>
</p>
<p> “It’s going to take ages that way…” The stone world native noted.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju walked past him and put down a huge clay tub, full of grapes. He jumped into it with a battle cry and immediately started stamping wildly, squashing the grapes with his bare feet. </strong>
</p>
<p>He sweat dropped along with some of the others. “Er… never mind…”</p>
<p>Gen shrugged elegantly. “It was Taiju-chan.” Enough said.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku looked on.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Ah… Okay, you can do all the grunt work from now on. That’s only logical.”</strong>
</p>
<p>The mentalist’s lips twitched further upwards. <em>“-And as practical as always, Senku-chan</em>!”</p>
<p>Ryusui grinned. He saw absolutely nothing wrong with that! Someone not familiar with Senku might have taken offence… but the 4 wise generals only smirked knowingly...</p>
<p>
  <strong>The tub was soon full of a purplish red juice with grape skins floating here and there. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku’s voice spoke up:</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Making wine couldn’t be easier.”</strong>
</p>
<p>Without noticing, Tsukasa had relaxed into his seat to listen….</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju poured the juice from the tub into a jar that Senku held out for him.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Crush grapes and raisins and stuff, put it into a container…</strong>
</p>
<p>This was almost nostalgic to the fighter. He might have spent less time with Senku and Taiju than anyone else here… but this reminded him of their one project together; of Calcium Carbonate.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju was energetically stirring the juice in the pot.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-and just mix it every day until it’s done. </strong>
</p>
<p>Every single one of them knew this process already... But still… every single one of them enjoyed watching Senku and Taiju do it for the first time.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku smirked at Taiju’s work and walked away. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-Though it would have been a crime to make liquor without a license in our time.”</strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome tilted his head, a bit perplexed. “Something like that was a crime..? With real punishment? Like… banishment or jail?”</p>
<p>Ryusui spread his arms grandly. “No worries Chrome! For something that small, the dastardly criminal simply had to fork over some money!”</p>
<p>
  <strong>The music softened again.</strong>
</p>
<p>“Yes…” Tsukasa nodded with a kind smile, eyes suddenly an empty abyss… “There used to be lots of silly laws like that, forcing the poor people to pay money to the ones in power…”</p>
<p>Gen, Chrome and Ukyo glanced at him cautiously and, as one, shuffled a little further away from him and the aura he suddenly exuded. Ryusui didn’t seem to notice anything off...</p>
<p>
  <strong>On a bright afternoon inside the treehouse, the two boys sat together on the floor, busy filtering the red liquid through a woven sieve.</strong>
</p>
<p>“Look! They are almost done!” Gen pointed dramatically.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Three weeks. That should about do it.”</strong>
</p>
<p>An inaudible sigh ran through the room when Tsukasa’s focus returned to the screen.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“But Senku…”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju sounded uncertain as he finished filtering the wine. Senku had a clay cup shaped like a wine glass in his hand.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-this would count as underage drinking, though.”</strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo wondered if he should feel old. When he’d awakened in the stone world he’d already officially been an adult. <strong>*2*</strong></p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku nipped from his cup and cackled.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Not a problem! We’re well over 3,700 years old.”</strong>
</p>
<p>Ryusui and Chrome started snickering.</p>
<p>Tsukasa however, didn’t feel like joking.  “Yes… Amongst us, only Senku and Taiju can truthfully claim that…” His voice carried a level of intensity that drew the others out of their laughter.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Realization dawned on Taiju’s face.</strong>
</p>
<p>A different kind of realization also dawned…</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Oh, you’re right!”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>He laughed loudly </strong>
</p>
<p>None of them were laughing now… Maybe they’d be able to later. Or, more likely, this would stay reserved for Taiju and Senku to joke about. As people who’d either spend no more than a couple of hours petrified, or had the luxury of sleeping and waking up technically safe with no awareness of the time past, they hadn’t earned the right…</p>
<p>
  <strong>and picked up the pot he had sieved the wine into. Both he and Senku drank.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju immediately spit it back out, hacking and breathing heavily. </strong>
</p>
<p>A couple of small smirks did quietly appear at this, though it was expected...</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku meanwhile had a milder reaction: </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“It’s better than I thought it’d be. </strong>
</p>
<p>“Seriously..?” Asked Chrome.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Though it’s about ten billion times worse than what was on the market.”</strong>
</p>
<p>Ryusui and Ukyo nodded loftily, both of them having been old enough to drink wine in the modern age.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju looked at the jar that he’d just drank from.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“So we can make wine this easily if we just have some grapes..?“ </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Steadily, step by step…”</strong>
</p>
<p>A slight intensity returned to the group at those words.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Said Senku, putting down his cup. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-This next part is going to be a little more tedious...”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>He cracked his neck with a satisfied grin. </strong>
</p>
<p>Gen’s eyes narrowed slightly, adding another detail to the mental profile he was building... That was the second time. He’d never seen the real Senku crack his neck before…</p>
<p>
  <strong>“An introduction to distilling wine; how to make brandy.“</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Distilling huh?”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Said Taiju as he got down from the treehouse in a single jump. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“No idea what that means!”</strong>
</p>
<p>Tsukasa’s lips twitched. This pattern he’d witnessed often...</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku was climbing down using the poles and wooden ladder.</strong>
</p>
<p>Ryusui grinned at their differences, even just in getting down from a treehouse.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“I knew you’d say that. Heat it, cool it, drip it. That concentrates the alcohol.”</strong>
</p>
<p>“That’s a nice summary.” Mused Ukyo, a twinkle appearing in calm green eyes as he made another mental note. <em>Heat it, cool it, drip it. </em>That would be one way to explain distilling to the kids!</p>
<p>
  <strong>On top of a makeshift stone stove heated by fire was a huge, closed off clay jug with a thin bamboo pipe sticking out of it diagonally. It was roughly gourd shaped and almost as tall as Taiju. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-Don’t worry. People in the Mesopotamian Civilization were doing this in 3000 B.C. using clay pots.”</strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome’s eyes widened. “Baaaad! That thing is so big!” The glass distiller they normally used wasn’t even a tenth of the size.</p>
<p>
  <strong>The music increased in volume again as Senku stood gesturing at the clay monstrosity with a wicked grin full of anticipation.</strong>
</p>
<p>Gen… felt something inside him clench at that... That expression was more playful than anything he’d ever seen of Senku. Even in this situation he’d been able to be carefree…</p>
<p>
  <strong>“There’s nothing you can’t do if you try..!</strong>
</p>
<p>But at least that opinion hadn’t changed!</p>
<p>
  <strong>There was a small crack in the jug.</strong>
</p>
<p>“Ah…” Ukyo froze slightly, the first to notice it.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“This is exhilarating-..!”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Whine squirted through the crack and the next moment the entire thing broke apart.</strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome gaped, the other’s only barely managing to keep their mouths from dropping open.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju was splashed slightly and Senku’s entire front was soaked reddish purple. </strong>
</p>
<p>Most of them had to cover up a smile and Ryusui grinned full out with a wide gesture. “Ah! A momentous beginning!”</p>
<p>Ukyo smiled. “They do say, start like you mean to continue…”  This would be their first trial and error!</p>
<p>
  <strong>It was night and Senku’s clothing hung on a line by the fire, dripping.</strong>
</p>
<p>Tsukasa attempted to return to his neutral expression. Gen send him a sly grin. Tsukasa had had to make revival fluid when he began his empire after all... and he’d likely used a similar contraption.</p>
<p>
  <strong>With more mushrooms roasting by the fire, Taiju grinned sheepishly at the other as he tried to hand him something to eat. Senku was moodily working on the base of another clay jug, kneeling on the ground in only wine-stained sort-of boxers, his upper body covered with clay. </strong>
</p>
<p>“He doesn’t look happy!” Ryusui grinned.</p>
<p>Chrome looked at the screen like Senku was doing something bizarre.</p>
<p><em>“Another difference,” </em>Gen noted internally, <em>“-and a fairly obvious one…”</em> If something broke or an attempt failed, Senku was the last one to get frustrated, his diligence seeming almost inhuman at times. But at this point… it looked like the skinny genius had freely moped and griped when something went wrong, though he certainly hadn’t let it keep him from starting on his next attempt…   </p>
<p>
  <strong>Day dawned. Time sped up. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku entered the laboratory and used a branch to keep the door flap open. </strong>
</p>
<p>“Whooooah, that’s fast!” exclaimed Chrome, unconsciously moving along with the beat of the music.</p>
<p>
  <strong>He carried a jug outside and seemingly gave instructions to Taiju.</strong>
</p>
<p>“Why-man sped up the recording to make time go faster,” explained Ukyo, trying to distract himself from the fact that he was actually starting to like this soundtrack….</p>
<p>
  <strong>In front of the laboratory Senku was shaping the new distiller jug. Taiju came back with a full basket. </strong>
</p>
<p><em>“Speaking about time…”</em> Ryusui mused, his eyes not leaving the smooth process of the two teenagers working together, easily and naturally dividing up the work, he asked: “How old were they back then?”</p>
<p>Ukyo nodded thoughtfully. “They were in high school but it’s hard to tell their age beyond that. Especially for Senku...” While he had his playful moments, he was too different to make any comparison with ‘normal teenagers’.</p>
<p>
  <strong>They roasted more mushrooms and small pieces of meat. They ate together but Senku also worked on a clay bowl at the same time.</strong>
</p>
<p>Gen didn’t move his eyes of the screen. “This was a little over 3 years ago… And Senku-chan was fifteen when he was petrified…” <strong>*3*</strong></p>
<p>Next to him Tsukasa froze.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju left again with his basket and Senku continued working on the bowl.</strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome didn’t seem to get what the big deal was, in Ishigami village you were expected to be self-sufficient at fourteen, but the others certainly did…</p>
<p>The Senku and Taiju they were watching, hard at work in order to wake up the rest of them… they were only fifteen years old. Maybe almost sixteen, but still... They’d been in the stone world the longest out of all the revived, and were still amongst the youngest of their entire group.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku checked over the distiller jug closely.</strong>
</p>
<p>And Senku was their leader… unofficially or not. And regardless of this recording; his age had absolutely no impact on that… it was utterly insignificant.</p>
<p>
  <strong>It was evening and Senku sat waiting in front of the distiller’s bamboo nozzle, under which a jar had been placed. Taiju was close by chopping wood. </strong>
</p>
<p>They all took a moment just to watch. Grateful in a twisted way. The creation of the revival fluid had happened years before the kingdom of science started documenting their journey.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Time passed.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Inside the laboratory Senku sat at the worktable working with the content of several clay cups, each of them numbered.  </strong>
</p>
<p>Each of the moderners watched the skinny back of the scientist working in the make-do laboratory.  Because music and all, he was working on their method of revival.</p>
<p>Chrome’s eyes were glued to the screen for different reasons.</p>
<p>
  <strong>It was winter and the snow was thick on the ground. The almost shoulder-height white blanket had been mostly cleared away in front of the laboratory </strong>
</p>
<p>Dark brown eyes widened slightly. “The winter before Senku came…” Chrome said softly, he felt a flash of worry. The weather had been more extreme back then than usual. Huts had gotten snowed in and… there had been deaths.</p>
<p>Ukyo also looked a bit concerned.</p>
<p>
  <strong>and Senku was once again sitting by the distilling jar on the fire. His clothes were now made of thicker pelts with fur and his breath was visible in the freezing air. His red eyes were distant.  </strong>
</p>
<p>Except for Tsukasa, all of them had seen that look before. Most of them didn’t quite know why they disliked it so much, those rare times Senku seemed to get lost in his head. Gen had long since learned to subtly snap him out of it, bringing Senku back from wherever he went, but he’d never brought it up otherwise… He had suspicions though, suspicions shaped like millennia...</p>
<p>Tsukasa watched. Senku had been far too alert for this during most of the time they had spent together…  </p>
<p>
  <strong>A mostly clear liquid with a reddish tint was dripping from the nozzle into the jar…</strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome started to grin again.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju was walking away from a fishing hole in the ice of a lake with two fish in one hand and a spear in another. He was also clothed in thick winter furs with a dagger on his belt and he had a beard on his serious face. </strong>
</p>
<p>His appearance took them by surprise.</p>
<p>Taiju had clearly acclimated. He looked strong and reliable and almost like an adult. <em>“Though,”</em> Ukyo mused, <em>“It could just be because of the beard. Wow.” </em></p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju leaned over Yuzuriha’s statue as he carefully brushed the snow off her. </strong>
</p>
<p>Each of them softened, watching Taiju take care of Yuzuriha’s statue.</p>
<p><em>“Ah.”</em> Ryusui nodded, eyes warm. Taiju had his own reason to be just as determined as Senku in seeing this through, if not more so...</p>
<p>
  <strong>He smiled when he was finished and brought a hand to his chin. He looked down in surprise when he felt the beard. </strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome unconsciously felt his own chin.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Both boys were at the beach, Senku was digging into the snow until he found something. He used a clam shell to pluck some hairs from his chin and then offered another to Taiju. Taiju wasted no time and immediately started using the shell to pull out as many hairs as he could until his chin looked like a plucked chicken. </strong>
</p>
<p>Auch! Chrome and Ryusui grimaced, most of the others not far behind. They had all used the shells for shaving before… It was rarely fun, even limited to just a couple of hairs.</p>
<p>
  <strong>The lower half of his face swelled up bright red and Senku collapsed to the ground laughing, pointing at the other and slapping his hands to the ground in his mirth.</strong>
</p>
<p>Senku’s laughter was contagious and even Tsukasa smiled along.</p>
<p>Except for Gen, who stilled, eyes slightly wide. Senku… was almost acting like a teenager. After so long trapped he was safe with his friend and freely laughing like a loon. Working towards the future while being able to act like a brat. For now...</p>
<p>
  <strong>The snow in the forest became thinner and finally the sun shone from a blue sky onto a field full of flowers, butterflies everywhere. </strong>
</p>
<p>“The winter is over…” said Ukyo with soft anticipation.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Inside the laboratory Taiju and Senku were pouring yellowish liquid from different clay beakers over a number of stone swallows.</strong>
</p>
<p>“They are likely trying out different combinations.” Tsukasa sounded calm but his eyes were intense.  It couldn’t be long now…</p>
<p>
  <strong>The stone birds covered in fluid stayed the way they were. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju looked down, tense. Senku kicked a jar out of the doorway in frustration.</strong>
</p>
<p>Each of them had unconsciously moved to the edge of their seat, tense.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Then Senku looked up and glanced back inside the laboratory. There, a single unpetrified feather with only its tip still covered in stone, lay in a small puddle of fluid. </strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo gasped and they couldn’t help but stare at the feather like it was a miracle. Which it was.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku stared fixedly at it. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>The music ended and time flowed normally again.</strong>
</p>
<p>The thing was… While they all knew that Senku had created the revival fluid, nobody had actually told them, Gen being the only exception. Senku himself had never brought it up with a single one of them. So… it was something that almost everybody in the kingdom of science simply knew.</p>
<p>
  <strong>The two teenagers walked out of the laboratory, Senku putting down a stone swallow on the grass. Then he poured some yellowish liquid onto it.</strong>
</p>
<p>But witnessing it… Was something else.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Let me teach you, big oaf…”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>They each stood on one side of the bird, eyes intent.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“…It’s not that there are things that science can’t explain…”</strong>
</p>
<p>A shiver ran through Chrome’s entire body.</p>
<p>
  <strong>The sound of stone cracking.  Small cracks started appearing around the stone bird’s eye.</strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo’s heartbeat quickened.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“…You look for the rules behind those things…”</strong>
</p>
<p>Tsukasa’s eyes couldn’t help but widen, something alike understanding emerging...</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju looked on with wide eyes. More Cracks. </strong>
</p>
<p>Ryusui’s expression was almost the same as Taiju’s. For once not grinning in his amazement.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“…Science is just the name for the steady,  pain-in-the-ass effort that goes into doing it.”</strong>
</p>
<p> It was such a simple line but it captured each and every one of them.</p>
<p><em>“Senku…”</em> And for a second Gen felt like he was back in front of that tree… reading the date carved into it and realizing what that meant.</p>
<p>
  <strong>A fragment broke off and behind the shell, the swallow’s living eye became visible. </strong>
</p>
<p>“Oh.” breathed Chrome.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku breathed out an exhilarated grin. </strong>
</p>
<p>Ryusui and Ukyo spontaneously grinned too.</p>
<p>
  <strong>A spiderweb of cracks formed throughout the stone shell and finally the bird broke free. Chirping an rising into the air. </strong>
</p>
<p>They all felt it. It was pure wonder. Nobody had ever fought over it at this point. Just the beauty of discovery and freedom from petrification.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Both boys looked on as the bird sung and flew around in circles. </strong>
</p>
<p>And a bird that, after thousands of years, was finally back in the sky.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“WHOOOOOOOOAAAAH!!!”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju exclaimed in joy. He had tears in his eyes and his fists were clenched. </strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo was also tearing up slightly. Same with Chrome who had an arm hiding his eyes and the widest grin on his face.  </p>
<p>
  <strong>The swallow continued on, soaring away in the distance.</strong>
</p>
<p>Ryusui and Gen didn’t seem to be reacting emotionally but their eyes shimmered with light and Tsukasa’s were so very warm...</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku sat down heavily on their unused stone stove, his bangs falling in front of his eyes. He  smiled, looking exhausted. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“One year since I started experimenting… It didn’t take as long as I thought.” </strong>
</p>
<p><em>“I understand now…”</em>  Chrome had stopped hiding his eyes, ignoring his tears to look at Senku's tired form with a new resolve.</p>
<p>
  <strong>He leaned back, his sweat covered face looking up at the sky.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-It’s a slow but steady effort.”</strong>
</p>
<p>Gen couldn’t help but smile.</p>
<p>
  <strong> Tired red eyes gleamed.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-I’m going to beat fantasy with science…”</strong>
</p>
<p>Another shiver ran through all of them, even Tsukasa, at this new oath none of them had known of…</p>
<p>
  <strong>He grinned as the screen turned black.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-This is exhilarating.”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>[NEXT - 30:00]</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>
  <em><br/><b>Commentary:</b><br/>*1* Japan has 3 alphabets. Kana is a collective term for the two shorter ones; Hiragana and Katakana, each containing about 40 symbols. The third Japanese alphabet, Kanji, counts over 3000 symbols, each symbol standing for a word.</em>
  <br/>
  <em><br/>*2* Legal drinking age in Japan is 20, so I’m using the age of 21 as the age of majority here. It’s currently 18 actually but only because it was lowered 2 years ago so I’m selfishly ignoring that change in Japanese law! It’s never said clearly in canon but in my head-canon both Ukyo and Ryusui were over 20 when they were petrified.</em>
  <br/>
  <em><br/>*3* I calculated Senku's age during the petrification event using 'how many days he'd been alive' when he'd been in the stone world for about 1.75 years (just before Gen gave him the telescope). While the wiki says Senku is 16 in episode 1, I assume it means that he's 16 at the END of the episode. This also means that at the point in time when this fic takes place he's almost 19. (Thanks to that calculation I now also know that the petrification event took place in June!)</em>
  <br/>
</p>
<hr/>
<p><b>AN:</b> This chapter was difficult for me. It was one of those that just didn’t want to be written, you know? I hope it’s still fun to read!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Senku's Call</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It’s finally time to contact Senku with the question… should they continue watching?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Update Note: I revised this chapter a little one day after I first posted it.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The screen had once again dimmed, leaving only letters and numbers and the room was once again silent...</p>
<p>
  <strong>[NEXT– 29:58] </strong>
</p>
<p>That final image still hadn’t quite left their minds… For people who had worked as closely with the scientist as most of them had, it shouldn’t have made such an impression. They had all seen Senku exhausted before. Heck, it was practically a weekly, if not daily, occurrence… But something about it had struck them. That younger Senku, practically collapsed where he sat, looking tiredly up at the sky with that gleam of victory in his eyes... eyes far too deep to belong to a teenager…</p>
<p>
  <em>“I’m going to beat fantasy with science…”</em>
</p>
<p>Finally, Chrome just couldn’t hold back anymore.</p>
<p>“That… was so amazing!” He had tears in his eyes and was clenching his fists so tight, they trembled. Just so amazing…  </p>
<p>Gen smiled softly at him. “You could even call it exhilarating…”</p>
<p>Tsukasa bowed his head with a small, rueful smile. Because this hadn’t been the first time it had struck him… Just what a huge impact that skinny scientist was going to have on the world… The first time he had realized this it had solidified Senku as a potential threat in his mind, a dangerous one... This could be called a rediscovery.</p>
<p>Ukyo’s clear green eyes and boyish face were shining for a different reason. “That was it… That was the moment we overcame the petrification. After thousands of years, the power to save ourselves was finally within our reach…“</p>
<p>Ryusui grinned at him in agreement. “Humanity was no longer helpless! Doesn’t matter that ‘humanity’ consisted only of two teenagers at that point!”</p>
<p>“Oi,” Chrome frowned at him indignantly. “You do know that we were also there, right?”</p>
<p>“Anyway…” Ukyo bowed his head and slowly got up from his chair, taking a moment to lean on the table. “We should go contact Senku now...”</p>
<p>That created another moment of silence… Each of them had seen things during this one, single episode, things that they had in turn recoiled from and were grateful for… but that didn’t change the fact that, especially to Senku and Taiju, it had been immensely intrusive. And whatever Senku liked to pretend, they all knew he wouldn’t be able to just brush this off…</p>
<p>Finally Gen sighed. “Ukyo-chan is right,” he also got to his feet. “Senku-chan doesn’t even know what kind of broadcast this is yet... It really is time to tell him.”</p>
<p>Tsukasa nodded and the others also got up from their chairs.</p>
<p>Ukyo moved towards the door and had just started reaching for the handle when it was suddenly thrown open, narrowly missing his nose, to noisily bounce off the wall.</p>
<p>“HEEEEEY!” yelled the buff young man who had just happily marched inside. “Suika said there’s already something on tv! What do you need me for?”</p>
<p>Taiju looked curiously from the screen to the others and back. They all stared at him… moments of the footage they had just watched unknowingly flashing through each of their minds. The desperation. Determination. That unceasing, single-minded love... and…</p>
<p>
  <em>“I WILL LIVE NO MATTER WHAT!”</em>
</p>
<p>“Huh?” Taiju tilted his head at them in confusion, bringing them back to the present.</p>
<p>Gen blinked once and then sighed exaggeratedly, making a graceful gesture for Ryusui to go first, the captain only needing a second to smirk back at him. The two of them stepped up to Taiju, who was starting to look even more confused, and drew him to the side.</p>
<p>“It’s like this, Taiju-chan..!”</p>
<p>As they started with their explanation, Ukyo, Chrome and Tsukasa left the room, walking towards the more official conference room in order to make a phone call all of them wished wasn’t necessary…</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Ukyo lowered the mic of their phone, finished with his explanation. Chrome and Tsukasa stood behind him, each having added their own clarifications. The mood in the room was tense and the silence from the other side of the line seemed to go on forever. When Senku spoke, he sounded far too calm. “You guys should continue watching…”</p>
<p>Chrome startled violently and Ukyo’s clear gaze tightened. Tsukasa only nodded, looking like he’d expected this.</p>
<p>Chrome pushed closer to Ukyo so he could speak into the mic, agitated. “Are you seriously saying that Senku?! We could be playing right into Why-man’s hands! And you probably don’t want us to see all that stuff anyway. So why..! ”</p>
<p>Ukyo put a hand on Chrome’s shoulder, stopping him. He then closed his eyes and took a breath before bringing the mic back to his own mouth. “Senku, this thing might call itself a documentary but it is far more invasive than that.” Ukyo’s icy eyes looked calm but his voice contained an undeniable urgency. “It’s definitely well edited and any uninteresting parts were cut out but… instead of giving a distant overview of events, like you’d normally expect, it shows everything that happened, up close and personal, like someone was right there filming. Even some of your and Taiju’s thoughts have already made it in, in an audible format at that, and while we haven’t checked with Taiju yet, they don’t seem to be made up!”</p>
<p>Ukyo had to stop to take another breath. He needed to ask: “It’s your call Senku but… are you truly ok with this..?”</p>
<p>Another moment of silence and then a sigh came from the other side.</p>
<p>“Of course I’m not, not one millimeter,” there was a barely audible undertone of emotion in that cool voice. “But we just have to do it... There’s no other way. And I won’t be the only one appearing in this thing. Worry about yourselves…”</p>
<p>Chrome once again pushed closer to the mic. “But..!”</p>
<p>Senku’s sigh was heavier this time. “Listen… even <em>if</em> there is nobody else out there who can receive this broadcast, we’ll be reviving an enormous amount of people and we’re not going to limit the science that lets us watch this to just us. All of humanity will have it. Probably sooner rather than later if it’s up to me, I’m not going to compromise on that…”</p>
<p>Understanding started to darken Chrome’s face. Of course. There was never any chance that Senku would keep science, science that could <em>benefit humanity</em>, to himself once they started reviving more people.</p>
<p>Senku continued: “Also, there’s absolutely no guarantee whatsoever that, in this entire world, nobody else has woken up and developed this technology. If we look at Why-man’s previous pattern, it’s almost inevitable that this ‘documentary’ will be transmitted to every possible receiver, on repeat.”</p>
<p>Ukyo had lowered his cap, hiding his eyes, and Tsukasa looked grim. Senku finished his reasoning, sounding almost resigned. “We’ll need to know the entire content of this broadcast, that’s just logical. No ifs or what ifs about it. Otherwise we won’t be able to prepare for the consequences. Especially if this footage ends up in the hands of a group that’s hostile to us…”</p>
<p>“If it continues like we think it will…” whispered Chrome, “they’d immediately know everything about us… Every weakness…”</p>
<p>Senku chuckled. “This really is bad timing... Just a couple of months before we’re going to start traveling the world.”</p>
<p>Tsukasa nodded once, face calm and eyes serious. “Yes… Senku, when can we expect you here?”</p>
<p>Senku’s smirk was almost audible over the phone. “I should be there early tomorrow morning. You guys could continue watching a few more episodes for now, get a bit more data. No need to keep going for the whole night though.”</p>
<p>Senku was a hypocrite.</p>
<p>Ukyo sweat dropped. “Yeah… Why <em>would</em> Why-man take their need for sleep into consideration..?”</p>
<p>“But won’t we miss a lot that way?” pondered Chrome. “Is watching it out of order ok?”</p>
<p>“There’s no need to worry about that!” some of Senku’s normal excitement when it came to technology entered his voice. “Chrome, can you fix it so the broadcast is recorded independently from what’s shown on the screen?”</p>
<p>That way they could just watch already-made recordings instead of keeping to the direct broadcast and it wouldn’t get in the way of recording new episodes. They’d also be able to watch this ‘documentary’ on their own schedule and take breaks when it suited them.</p>
<p>Chrome immediately got it and nodded with a challenging grin. “Don’t underestimate me Senku. Of course I can! It’ll take some time though… but I could definitely start once we’re finished watching for today..!”</p>
<p>Tsukasa smiled placidly, exuding a bit of that scary aura. “Good… After all, we all have things to do that don’t include keeping to an enemy’s schedule.”</p>
<p>Ukyo smiled at Chrome. He would be lending a hand. “We’ll get it done before tomorrow! Though for now, the broadcast should be starting up again soon…”</p>
<p>The other side was silent and Ukyo’s hand tightened around the mic.</p>
<p> “We’ll see you tomorrow, Senku!”</p>
<p>Senku chuckled. “You ten billion percent will!” Then his voice turned softer. “Whatever Why-man aims to achieve with this… Even if it succeeds… if that ghost thinks this is what will take the kingdom of science down they’ll be wrong.”</p>
<p>A shiver ran through Ukyo. Regardless of what they’d seen on that television, talking to Senku hadn’t been much different from normal. It couldn’t have been but… He already felt like he understood more, about just what was going on behind Senku’s words, from this single phone conversation... What would it be like when they saw him face to face tomorrow? He reached to turn off the phone but… just before he could do so Senku’s voice came through the speaker once more. He asked in a low tone: “Tsukasa..?” Only that.</p>
<p>The androgynous man, who had been about to turn away, stilled. Then his placid face strengthened. “There’s nothing to worry about...” his voice was soft and gave nothing away. “Till tomorrow, Senku.”</p>
<p>He stepped forward and turned the phone off himself, ending the call.</p>
<p>He looked tense but neither of his companions commented. Ukyo quietly put down the mic and the three of them turned away from the phone.</p>
<p>This wouldn’t be the end of it. There were many questions that hadn’t been answered, or even mentioned, yet. Not the least of them being; where did Why-man get this footage? If they knew Senku, he wouldn’t be letting that lie. There was plenty left to worry about, but for now…</p>
<p>Chrome  and Tsukasa moved towards the door, intending to return to the television room, but Ukyo didn’t immediately follow them. Tsukasa glanced back and stopped when he noticed the archer was instead crouched next to a wooden chest off to the side, searching through its contents. Then he resurfaced with a small stack of papers in his hands, along with some writing materials. Chrome stuck his head back through the door to check what was going on. “Hey Ukyo! What do you need that for?”</p>
<p>“I have some things I want to write down.” Ukyo walked up to the other two so he could join them in leaving. “I doubt this was the only episode that will contain a lot of science. Also, Senku said some interesting things...” He looked contemplatively at the ceiling. “I want to record some of those things for when we continue the science classes. Like; it would be nice to be able to teach the way revival fluid was created... Because so many of us wouldn’t be here without it.”</p>
<p>Tsukasa tilted his head and Chrome walked silently for a moment. Then the sciencer grinned. “Ukyo, you spend more time teaching than anyone else before we left, didn’t you?”</p>
<p>Ukyo just smiled.  Chrome turned to the vaguely curious looking Tsukasa. “We’ve been holding science classes in the village! Well, the people from your time mostly teach letters and stuff, but science too! All of the village kids joined! Since the winter preparations are finished we’ll probably continue them soon!”</p>
<p>Tsukasa nodded at that.</p>
<p>Ukyo glanced at him sideways and then spoke up. “Mirai-chan was in my class a lot.” He send Tsukasa a small smile, reserved but genuine. “She made a lot of friends.”</p>
<p>Tsukasa looked surprised for a moment, and then a warm smile appeared on his face. “I see…”</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>When the three returned to the television room, each of them having taken the opportunity for a toilet-break, Taiju had already taken a chair, Gen’s chair to be precise but nobody was complaining. An extra had apparently been brought in while they’d been gone. Taiju looked a lot more serious now compared to when he’d first entered the room, his arms were crossed and his gaze was firmly on the countdown on the screen.</p>
<p>
  <strong>[NEXT– 01:34] </strong>
</p>
<p>Almost time…</p>
<p>At a questioning look from Gen and Ryusui, Chrome stepped forward. He bit his lip once before giving in.</p>
<p>“Senku said we should continue watching.”</p>
<p>Not a sliver of surprise from either of the two generals. Ryusui even smirked slightly and Taiju didn’t look away from the screen. Chrome frowned unhappily but in the end he approached the bulky young man and took the seat next to him. Gen took the chair on Chrome’s other side and Ryusui sat down next to the mentalist. Finally, Ukyo and Tsukasa retook their spots on the far left and right of the table, which meant that Tsukasa and Taiju now sat next to each other.</p>
<p>They spend the final minute in silence, holding vigil over the countdown.</p>
<p>
  <strong>[NEXT– 00:02] </strong>
</p>
<p>Several gazes sharpened.</p>
<p>It was time for the six of them to see what happened next…</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>AN: My very awesome proofreader was out of contact for this one. Here’s to hoping that it’s still readable! </p>
<p>I decided on Senku’s reasoning -why they would need to watch the whole thing- before the manga ever introduced us to the science kingdom in the USA and Dr. Xeno but… I like it even better now! Just imagine… Would he have a TV you think?</p>
<p>I also want to thank everyone for the amazing reviews I got for the last few chapters. Seriously, Thanks!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Episode 2 Part 1: King of the Stone World</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Time to start watching episode 2; also known as that episode in which Senku's luck takes him up on his offer...</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p><strong>Note:</strong> Small details of this episode were altered in order to make things more realistic (coincidentally, this wasn’t necessary in episode 1). As before, notes on this fic and the transcript are in the notes below marked by numbers.<br/><br/>Current Seating Chart: Ukyo-Ryusui-Gen-Chrome-Taiju-Tsukasa</p>
<p>(last edited: 18-01-2021)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>[Episode 2: King of the Stone World]</strong>
</p>
<p>Even though Chrome <em>did </em>know these particular letters and could read them, he still tilted his head in confusion.</p>
<p>“A ‘king’? I think there was one of those in the 100 tales but… Does one actually exist? In this world…”</p>
<p>He wasn’t the only one who looked a bit confused.</p>
<p>Gen just shrugged with a deceptively light-hearted smile. “Well, we might be the ‘kingdom of science’ but unfortunately Senku-chan has yet to proclaim himself our king… So we’ll just have to wait and see!”</p>
<p>Ryusui smirked at that.</p>
<p>Taiju though, had his eyes squarely on the screen and seemed to be almost quivering with anticipation at this point.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku was sitting in the same spot as before, basking in their success.</strong>
</p>
<p>“This looks like the place where the last episode left off,” noted Ukyo, smiling slightly at Taiju. “It was just after the two of you succeeded in reviving that swallow…”</p>
<p>Taiju didn’t reply, just taking in the sight of his friend...</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju stepped up.</strong>
</p>
<p>That got a reaction.</p>
<p>“AH! IT’S ME!” Taiju yelled, pointing at himself.</p>
<p>Next to him, Chrome winced at the loudness, hurriedly covering his ear in an attempt to protect it. He send a moody glare in the direction of Ryusui and Gen. Just what had they told Taiju? If they’d explained properly, shouldn’t he have known to expect himself?</p>
<p>
  <strong>“So Senku, who should we revive first?”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Huh?”</strong>
</p>
<p>It was actually a great question. Ryusui grinned, gaze intense. They were going to use the revival fluid to revive the very first human!</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku made a flippant gesture.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-We’re going to wake up everyone eventually anyway. What does it matter who we start with?”</strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo sweat dropped and carefully didn’t glance at Tsukasa.</p>
<p>“That… might be dangerously careless…”</p>
<p>“He usually is when it comes to this,” said Gen with a slight twitch, because… The order in which people were revived <em>definitely </em>mattered. <em> “The next one to be revived should be either Yuzuriha-chan or…”</em> the mentalist’s eyes drifted over to Tsukasa.</p>
<p>
  <strong>He snickered.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-Though it would really suck if we happened to wake up some kind of murderer first...” </strong>
</p>
<p>Gen froze, staring blankly at the screen. <em>“Did Senku seriously just..?!”</em></p>
<p>“Yeah, that would be bad…” said Chrome, who was <em>clearly not grasping the situation here</em>!</p>
<p>Eyes still wide, the mentalist slumped into his chair in disbelief. This was ridiculous! Senku-chan’s luck wasn’t just bad… He didn’t have any whatsoever! Whoever was in charge of distributing luck as a stat, they had skipped Senku entirely! Why did he have to go and use his sharp mind to come up with <em>that </em>random worst case scenario?! Now it was practically guaranteed to happen! Gen was severely tempted to start banging his head against the table, because he knew… <em>“considering the situation when Tsukasa-chan first revived me…”</em></p>
<p>Gen’s wasn’t the only peculiar reaction to Senku’s throwaway comment.</p>
<p>Taiju’s hands clenched, Ukyo’s eyes flashed with pain momentarily and Tsukasa closed his eyes, just for a moment.</p>
<p>Meanwhile Ryusui… glanced between the faces of his companions with screwed eyes…</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju glanced down, troubled.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“I see…”</strong>
</p>
<p>At that, Ryusui’s normal persona instantly returned and he snapped his fingers. “Hah! There’s no need to worry. Your desire will be fulfilled soon!”</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku looked at him and then got to his feet, declaring with a disinterested voice:</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“I don’t particularly feel like deciding who will be first...”</strong>
</p>
<p>Gen sighed and bowed his head with a small smile. “Of course he doesn’t.”</p>
<p>
  <strong>He pointed at the other boy with a smirk.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-Taiju, you choose!”</strong>
</p>
<p>“Oh!” Chrome grinned. So that’s what was going on.</p>
<p>Taiju smiled brightly.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju looked stunned for a moment. Then he answered Senku’s smirk with a determined smile.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> “Thanks, Senku.”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>The image of Yuzuriha’s statue at the camphor tree.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-Of course, my answer is obvious…”</strong>
</p>
<p>Ryusui smirked in delight. “Truly. Very obvious!”</p>
<p>Gen, Ukyo and Chrome all send various smiles Taiju’s way.</p>
<p>Tsukasa however, was focused on something more pragmatic.  “Taiju... Though it’s early, have you seen anything so far that happened differently from how you remember it..? Since you were there, you should be able to tell more easily if something was faked...”</p>
<p>Taiju looked surprised for a second, but then his face turned solemn. He crossed his arms in contemplation. “Hmmmmm…” but then he shook his head. “I don’t think I’ve seen anything fake. BUT..!” he clenched his fists determinedly.  “I’ll definitely say so when I notice something!”</p>
<p>Ukyo sighed. Hopefully they could count on Taiju’s memory here.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku and Taiju stepped up to the camphor tree where Yuzuriha had been all this time, Senku holding a small jar in one hand… </strong>
</p>
<p>Taiju swallowed. He needed to pay attention.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju said solemnly:</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“The time has finally come…”</strong>
</p>
<p>“Do you mind us seeing this though…” asked Ukyo carefully. He felt he needed to ask. The most intimate moments they’d witnessed at this point didn’t belong to Senku after all…</p>
<p>“No problem!”</p>
<p>There was no hesitation in Taiju’s answer, not even taking his eyes off the screen.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Then he turned to Senku, fists eagerly clenched. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“So if we use that water the petrification will be undone and she’ll be revived, right?”</strong>
</p>
<p>Taiju’s expression mirrored his counterpart on the screen in eagerness. They were going to revive Yuzuriha for the first time again! Or… Almost anyway.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku’s answer was self-assured.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Yes she should,”</strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo and Chrome smiled and Ryusui grinned.</p>
<p>
  <strong>In the background a vague image of a kneeling Senku pouring the revival fluid onto something unidentifiable came into view. </strong>
</p>
<p>Smiles became less certain.</p>
<p>
  <strong>The look in the real Senku’s eyes turned cruel as he said in a creepily gleeful voice:</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-when I tried it on a statue that was already in pieces, it properly turned back into a corpse.”</strong>
</p>
<p>The mood dropped like a stone and an ice-cold shiver ran through the group.</p>
<p>Gen stared at the screen with wide eyes, horror obvious, and Ukyo had turned a deadly pale.</p>
<p>Chrome swallowed… it didn’t help. He swallowed again.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju bristled, yelling:</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“You are too blasphemous!”</strong>
</p>
<p>In contrast, Tsukasa and Ryusui both had calculating expressions on their faces.</p>
<p>And Taiju… watched his best friend cackle with a difficult expression, completely lacking the outrage of his younger counterpart. It felt like his stomach was tying itself up… He hadn’t noticed <em>before</em> but this time…</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku snickered evilly for a bit but then turned more sedate. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Just in case, I did put all of the pieces back together first when I tested it...” *1*</strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome’s expression, which had previously been going between confusion and horror, darkened to ugly understanding. The statues had been part of his world since he’d been born and the broken ones had usually been in that state for a long, long time. Chrome was too familiar with the revival process not to know… that reviving one of those statues could only have had one outcome…</p>
<p>
  <strong>“But as expected you can’t save someone if they are already dead.” </strong>
</p>
<p>Gen swallowed. He remembered what he’d said when they revived that first guy that Yuzuriha had put together. That if Senku’s hypothesis was wrong…</p>
<p>
  <em>“-as soon as we pour the revival fluid onto him, blood will come gushing out and we’ll have guts and body parts everywhere!”</em>
</p>
<p>Senku apparently had already experienced it… exactly what happened when you tried to revive someone who had been broken for too long…</p>
<p>
  <strong>“They made a valuable sacrifice. Send up a prayer or something.”</strong>
</p>
<p>Gen closed his eyes and he wasn’t alone. Some of them may have prayed. Senku-chan could call it a ‘sacrifice’ or an ‘experiment’ all he wanted. He certainly liked to toe the line to mad scientist every once in a while and the way he thought was often entirely foreign to the people around him but… <em>he simply wasn’t cold enough for something this horrific to have left him unaffected.</em></p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju immediately straightened…</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Right!”</strong>
</p>
<p>The mentalist opened his eyes again to glance sideways, taking note of Ukyo’s paleness, and locking eyes with Ryusui. The captain’s solemn gaze mirroring his own.</p>
<p>Senku sometimes got this look in his eyes when he watched the statues…</p>
<p>
  <strong>-and slapped his hands together in prayer.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> “-Rest in peace rest in peace rest in peace rest in peace…”</strong>
</p>
<p>They had finished their own limited moment of silence… and once again focused on the screen.  </p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju was climbing the huge roots of the camphor tree…</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“Sorry I kept you waiting for 3,700 years, Yuzuriha.”</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>Taiju listened to his own thoughts made sound for the first time and swallowed.</p>
<p>
  <strong>He reached her stone form…</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“I am going to bring you back to life now.”</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>Nobody commented. Taiju’s thoughts were his own.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku extended the jar with revival fluid for him to take…</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>and Taiju abruptly stiffened. He turned to Senku in alarm.</strong>
</p>
<p>“Ah.” Tsukasa had an inkling what was troubling Taiju. There were several looks of dawning realization.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Wait Senku! Yuzuriha… is naked!”</strong>
</p>
<p>But it seemed not everyone had realized... Chrome turned a bright pink.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku’s eyes barely had a chance to widen before Taiju forcefully shoved two fingers into the red orbs, causing Senku to shout from pain. *2*</strong>
</p>
<p>All of them bar Taiju winced simultaneously, Chrome going as far as to partially cover his own eyes. That… looked painful.</p>
<p>Taiju was just so relieved. His past self had noticed in time!</p>
<p>
  <strong>“WE CAN’T REVIVE HER LIKE THIS!!!”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju yelled, looking practically unhinged at the idea. </strong>
</p>
<p>“But did you have to go for the eyes?!”Chrome finally yelled. He’d never seen anyone go for those quite so brutally before. And it was Senku!</p>
<p>“Chrome has a point…”mumbled Ukyo, sweat on his brow.</p>
<p>
  <strong> Senku blindly stumbled back down from the huge tree root. His hands were pressed against his eyes…</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Here we go again with your illogical stupidity!”</strong>
</p>
<p>Tsukasa frowned, slightly narrowing his eyes. Somehow… the lack of logic in Taiju’s action seemed the wrong thing to complain about.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku lowered his hands slightly to scowl at Taiju with watery eyes. They were even redder than usual and there were tears in the corners. </strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo narrowed his eyes beneath his cap.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-It’s an emergency situation and we’re in a stone world! Nobody is around to care if your naked butt is showing or if your dick is hanging out!”</strong>
</p>
<p>Sweat drops all around. That was logically true but… nobody but Senku would actually see it that way.</p>
<p>Gen twitched slightly. “Senku-chan… Don’t you think there is such a thing as being <em>too</em> logical..?”</p>
<p>Ryusui shook his head in disappointment. “Taiju is right! All ladies deserve better! They would desire clothes… and they should get them!”</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju pointed at Senku and yelled in outrage:</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Yuzuriha doesn’t have a dick!”</strong>
</p>
<p>Taiju nodded decisively.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku’s face contorted and he raised his voice in answer:</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“That’s not the point!”</strong>
</p>
<p>Some of them were actually gaping at the argument now. And Taiju… just smiled. Apparently to him all was right with the world.</p>
<p>Gen also wore a sunny smile, the fact that he was taking mental notes not showing on his face.</p>
<p>As a rule… Senku didn’t really <em>participate</em> in meaningless arguments. Or at least when he did, he didn’t get worked up. Seeing the young scientist getting so emotional about something so small and ridiculous…</p>
<p>
  <em>“It’s nice to see you so carefree… Senku-chan.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju picked up Yuzuriha’s petrified form and easily lifted the statue above his head.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“We’ll take her back to camp and put some clothes on her.”</strong>
</p>
<p>Taiju’s smile fell from his face at this… next to him Tsukasa’s eyes subtly hardened.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku sighed.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Geez… Exactly how heavy is that statue?”</strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome was curious about that too. Taiju did it all the time but he had never actually tried to lift one…</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju was riled up again:</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Yuzuriha is not fat!”</strong>
</p>
<p>Ryusui nodded with utter seriousness. “Of course. No woman is fat! They are, each and every one of them, the perfect weight!”</p>
<p>Gen smiled slightly.</p>
<p>
  <strong>He stomped to the edge of the clearing. Senku slumped, repeating tiredly:</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“That is not the point… Besides…” </strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo blinked and then pulled his cap down to hide a small smile. So Senku could lose stupid arguments too. Though granted this was an argument about Yuzuriha… with<em> Taiju.</em></p>
<p>
  <strong>The skinny teen scientist straightened and continued in exasperation…</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-wouldn’t it be ten billion times quicker to just wake her up and have her walk back?”</strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome shivered at that. Sure… logically but… He had a feeling that he really didn’t want to know what would happen to him if he ever suggested to Kohaku that she or Ruri did such a thing. Walk naked through the forest because it’s more logical. No thanks!</p>
<p>Gen meanwhile glanced sideways, wondering about the silence coming from Tsukasa and Taiju’s side of the table…</p>
<p>
  <strong>He brought his hand to his forehead.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Just how illogical can you-”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>A deep animalistic roar resounded and Senku abruptly cut off his sentence, </strong>
</p>
<p>All of them stilled, the relaxed atmosphere instantly gone.</p>
<p>
  <strong>A primal instinctual fear widened his eyes and he spun around to face the side of the clearing opposite from where they’d entered…</strong>
</p>
<p>A chill entered each of them. They’d all seen it… The visceral fear in Senku’s eyes… even if visible for less than a moment…</p>
<p>Taiju’s fists were clenched, his entire body tense.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Soft growls continued coming from the shadows behind the bushes.</strong>
</p>
<p>None of them moved.</p>
<p>Chrome gritted his teeth, glaring at the shadows on the screen. He could already tell… Every child of Ishigami old enough to roam outside the village was taught the specific areas to avoid and the signs they should never ignore… Because, while rare, they never wanted to end up in the vicinity of <em>those </em>predators. Chrome had learned even earlier than his age-mates, always wanting to go further, to explore...  So he’d recognized that first roar… And he wished he hadn’t…</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Wait big oaf!”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku called urgently, stretching out his arm in a halting gesture. His entire body screamed tension.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju turned around uncertainly with Yuzuriha’s statue held above his head. </strong>
</p>
<p>Ryusui’s eyes were dark as the captain of the Perseus read the situation. He knew… neither Senku nor Taiju was ready for whatever it was that was about to happen...</p>
<p>
  <strong>The growling shifted from a slow rumbling to something more aggressive. </strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo was tense and his fingers twitched. He suddenly, irrationally, wished he was there… at a good vantage point with his bow so he could take out the threat...</p>
<p>
  <strong>Awareness and slowly trepidation dawned on Taiju’s face as he stared in the same direction as Senku. Trying to detect movement beyond the far side of the clearing. Drops of sweat were beading down his face.</strong>
</p>
<p>Tsukasa watched... it wouldn’t be long now.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku was sweating too and his teeth were clenched as he glared at the bushes with a grim apprehension in his red eyes.</strong>
</p>
<p>Gen felt his own eyes widen.</p>
<p>The scientist Gen had first gone to spy on… had already been very used to the idea of his life being in danger. But this Senku, while only a couple of months younger, <em>was not</em>… He was, at heart, still a modern teenager from Japan. Someone who had yet to develop any tricks to deal with being in lethal danger because <em>he’d never needed them before</em>… But Gen was a mentalist and he could tell… Senku was already internalizing it... forcing the fear aside with that frightening mind of his to <em>evaluate</em>…</p>
<p>Gen didn’t have long to take this in...</p>
<p>
  <strong>A large male lion with a majestic mane stepped out in the open. It roared…</strong>
</p>
<p>“Run!” Ukyo whispered with such urgency that it almost felt like a shout…</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku and Taiju didn’t waste a second; they immediately turned around with yells of fear, taking off running in the opposite direction…</strong>
</p>
<p>The tension in the room was through the roof. Most of them sitting at the edges of their chairs.</p>
<p>Sweat was forming on Taiju’s brow and he looked like he wanted to jump straight into the screen, to go and help.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju was still carrying Yuzuriha’s statue and strained to glance behind him while tearing through the forest as fast as he could. He yelled:</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Why is there a lion in Japan?!”</strong>
</p>
<p>“Why does he need to know that now?!” exclaimed Chrome almost frantically. There was no way! How were they going to outrun a lion?!</p>
<p>
  <strong>“That thing, it can only be descended from a zoo animal!</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku yelled back while also glancing backwards, his eyes were bulging in fear and he was already breathing heavily from the pace… </strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome, Ukyo, Ryusui, even Gen… none of the wise generals had ever even glimpsed this level of panic from Senku, and only very rarely from Taiju... Taiju was optimistic and determined, his moments of true fear were few and of hopelessness almost nonexistent. And fear in Senku… it simply didn’t show up on his face or even in his eyes… as far as most of them knew at least...</p>
<p>But either this was an exception or that hadn’t always been the case...</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-the caretakers must have been petrified while the cage was unlocked or something!”</strong>
</p>
<p>The fact that Senku could still come up with the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of this situation was almost humorous but nobody was laughing.</p>
<p>
  <strong>A picture of a pride of lions attacking a buffalo in an overgrown zoo enclosure…</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-and if they got out with no humans around every herbivore in the zoo would be prey to them… if they got out into the city it probably was a pet buffet!”</strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo’s hands again clenched for a non-existent bow as Senku only made their situation sound more inescapable…</p>
<p>
  <strong>A view of their surroundings. Rocky cliffs overlooking widespread forests. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-So now they have literally become the king of beasts!</strong>
</p>
<p>Tsukasa ‘s face was too calm for the hardness of his eyes.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku’s breathing was growing heavier as he talked, an almost unnoticeable tone of despair entering his voice.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-In this stone world, humans are… not at the top of the food chain anymore!”</strong>
</p>
<p>Rationally, all of them knew that Senku and Taiju had made it out of this just fine. But Senku wasn’t here and logic had mostly taken a holiday.</p>
<p>A stone seemed to drop into Chrome’s stomach as his mind flashed to the other scientist’s non-existent stamina. Senku wouldn’t be able to keep this up for long... From the expressions around him Chrome wasn’t the only one who had realized that.</p>
<p>
  <strong>The lion let out another roar. The large cat was clearly not going at its full speed but it was still gaining on them and Taiju and Senku, by trying to keep track of the animal hunting them, completely missed the steep cliff they were rapidly approaching until they went running over the edge.</strong>
</p>
<p>“WHA-..!” “NO!”</p>
<p>Several shouts echoed through the room as Senku and Taiju were suddenly falling to what seemed to be their deaths.</p>
<p>Ukyo, Chrome, Gen and even Taiju were all several shades paler than they should be while Ryusui looked like he wanted to kill something.</p>
<p>Tsukasa though, while his eyes were intense, didn’t look concerned as much as like he was waiting for something...</p>
<p>
  <strong>Both of them screamed as the earth disappeared from beneath their feet. Taiju, while still in the air, tried to position himself so he could cushion Yuzuriha’s stone body. </strong>
</p>
<p><em>“How had all three of them come out of this intact? Seriously!”</em> Gen wondered frantically.</p>
<p>
  <strong>The cliff wasn’t as steep as it seemed at first. After a drop of 2 meters or so the vertical rockface shifted into a steep slope. </strong>
</p>
<p>Some sighs of relief were expelled and Tsukasa nodded, seemingly having expected something like this.</p>
<p>The relief was short-lived though.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Both of them hit it hard and too fast to gain any control over their momentum. They fell, rolled and slid down the rocky surface. Then they finally collided with the ground, collapsing at the bottom of the cliff… *3* </strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome winced. At a glance, their journey down the cliff had left their arms and legs covered in bloody scrapes and bruises and they hadn’t hit the ground gently. Even Taiju must have felt that...</p>
<p> Taiju though, didn’t even give half a thought to his own state on the screen.</p>
<p>“I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE CAREFUL!”</p>
<p>His hands were in his hair, tugging at it in distress. During the entire fall his eyes had never wavered from Yuzuriha’s statue. She could have so easily been damaged!</p>
<p>
  <strong>Both of them lay flat on their backs, eyes clenched tightly shut in pain. </strong>
</p>
<p>Something seemed to flash behind Ukyo’s eyes and he  abruptly turned away from the screen towards Taiju.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Yuzuriha’s statue lay safe across Taiju’s chest. </strong>
</p>
<p>“Yuzuriha is fine. Thanks to you!” His voice was urgent.  “You protected her the entire time…!”</p>
<p>Taiju’s eyes left the screen in surprise to meet Ukyo’s and he stilled… there was something in the archer’s steady gaze that transcended certainty... When his gaze was drawn back to the screen, while he was still anxious, the self-depreciation had disappeared.</p>
<p>
  <strong>They struggled to get up as their bodies trembled in protest. A growl sounded, not from as nearby as it had been but clearly getting closer. They redoubled their efforts.</strong>
</p>
<p>Ryusui clenched his teeth at the reminder that it wasn’t over yet, rage burning steadily in his chest.</p>
<p>
  <strong>The roars of more lions joined the first and the sounds of Senku’s and Taiju’s leather clad feet running were also audible again. </strong>
</p>
<p>The tension amongst the group was still strong but instead of panic it had started to sharpen into focus.</p>
<p>Ukyo’s calm alertness was again aimed at the screen, waiting for any solution that might present itself and the thoughts could almost be seen racing behind Chrome’s eyes.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“But… why aren’t they actually attacking us yet?”</strong>
</p>
<p>The stone world sciencer knew though, that the lions wouldn’t just randomly leave them alone. Senku… science… didn’t rely on luck.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju asked and Senku answered with a panting chuckle.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Heheheh, looking from their perspective, we’re probably some kind of weird bipedal creatures that they’ve never seen before... “</strong>
</p>
<p>Something crawled inside of Gen at the way he said that. Whether the calm of Senku’s voice was true or forced…</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju understood:</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“We are the only humans in this world...”</strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome clenched his teeth together. They weren’t. But Ishigami Village was too small… too far away…</p>
<p>
  <strong>The stronger teen was running just ahead of Senku, who was visibly straining to keep up now. Several lionesses had joined the chase. The large cats were continuing pursuit while also keeping a decent amount of seconds between them and their prey. </strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo’s stomach twisted as they got their first good view of the multiple lions taking part in the chase<strong>. </strong>Even if he’d been there, he couldn’t have distracted more than one…</p>
<p>
  <strong> “They are being cautious, keeping some amount of distance,” *4*</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku gasped…</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-but it is only a matter of time now...”  </strong>
</p>
<p>Senku was right. All of them could see it…</p>
<p>Before long… The lions would be upon them and… Senku wouldn’t be able to keep this up anymore…</p>
<p>Tsukasa’s face was still a mask of calm, not wavering, but the look in his eyes wasn’t nearly so restrained…</p>
<p>
  <strong>Giving an ironic grin, Senku was still running at the harsh pace they’d set at the beginning but his face was white from exertion and drops of sweat were pouring down.  </strong>
</p>
<p>Senku’s tenacity, not his stamina, was the reason he was still moving at that demanding pace while his body visibly couldn’t handle it… but this couldn’t go on forever. Tsukasa, more than anyone, could recognize the toll it was taking. Quite frankly, it was amazing that he’d held on for this long…</p>
<p>A large hand unconsciously clenched into a fist…</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-Even if we get super lucky and make it all the way back to camp, the only thing we’ll be able to do is fight them with spears…”</strong>
</p>
<p>No village to run to that would protect them if they managed to reach it… Chrome gritted his teeth for a moment while his mind kept on searching. <em>“Wasn’t there anything they could do?”</em></p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju glanced backwards as he ran; the bigger teen was still going strong but his face was contorting with dread.</strong>
</p>
<p>Taiju wasn’t consciously paying attention to the screen at this point. He remembered… running and running with the aggressive growls of the lions just getting closer and closer… looking back at Senku running behind him and noticing for the first time how beyond exhausted his friend was…</p>
<p>
  <strong> Senku continued:</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“- This game… has been practically over since the very beginning!”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju clenched his eyes shut…</strong>
</p>
<p>All of them felt it… Taiju’s inner conflict was clear as day even if it only took mere seconds…</p>
<p>
  <strong>…and opened them with a furious resolve. He abruptly put on the breaks, his feet leaving grooves in the ground. </strong>
</p>
<p>Almost all of the eyes in the room widened… some in surprise, some with realization dawning…</p>
<p>
  <strong>With no warning he threw Yuzuriha’s stone body over to Senku who had stumbled past him when Taiju unexpectedly changed directions. </strong>
</p>
<p>Taiju clenched his eyes shut for a moment at his own rough handling of Yuzuriha but… Senku would take care of her.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Wha-… Ow!”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku only barely managed to catch the statue and ended up kneeling on the ground with her in his arms behind the large teenager. Taiju had planted himself, teeth clenched and eyes wild, between Senku and the direction the lions were approaching from, his large hands raised, ready to block anything. </strong>
</p>
<p>With a jolt of increasing dread, Chrome realized fully what was happening. Taiju was their shield and… after all…</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Senku, more than anyone I cannot let you die here!” </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“ He would never let Senku die...” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>He wasn’t looking back at Senku but his voice was strong and his eyes wildly resolved.</strong>
</p>
<p>With a flash of horror, Ukyo realized that Taiju wouldn’t be talked out of this. He was truly planning to…</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-You’re humanity’s last bastion, the only one with scientific knowledge…. “</strong>
</p>
<p>Gen froze.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-IF IT COMES DOWN TO THIS I’LL BE YOUR SHIEL-“</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“NO!”</strong>
</p>
<p>Senku’s command seemed to ring through the room, abruptly cutting off all thoughts that might have  been going through their heads...</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku’s voice was sharp and forceful and completely cut Taiju off. </strong>
</p>
<p>This tone… none of them had ever heard it from him before. Ryusui’s eyes were wide. Except maybe…</p>
<p>
  <em>“Everyone, as fast as you can..! GET TO THE LAB!!!”</em>
</p>
<p>Back on treasure island, Senku’s scientific judgement had caused him to issue a command… To go against every plan they’d made back then... But even the way he sounded that time didn’t compare.</p>
<p>And Tsukasa’s outside calm was, just for a moment, broken...</p>
<p>
  <strong>He froze, shaken for a moment before some of his previous resolve reaffirmed itself. But he did glance over his shoulder at Senku. </strong>
</p>
<p>While they were on opposite sides, Senku had been an extremely dangerous opponent and, even during this chase, the qualities that made him so had been constantly present but… he had things he couldn’t do…</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku was still kneeling on the ground but his wide panicked eyes stood out starkly in his pale white face, seeming even redder than usual. </strong>
</p>
<p>And still… it had never been more obvious that Senku wouldn’t accept such a sacrifice… he wholeheartedly refused. And once upon a time Tsukasa had seen that as a weakness… and <em>used it</em>.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Think it over logically!”</strong>
</p>
<p>A strange shiver went through the group and none of them could keep their eyes off the screen.</p>
<p>It was more raw and everything was closer to the surface but this was very much the Senku they knew.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku somehow managed to insert some thin veneer of calm into his voice. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> “-I use my head and you use your body. We can’t afford to lose either one!</strong>
</p>
<p><em>“He’s begging,”</em> Ukyo noticed numbly.</p>
<p>
  <strong>He pleaded with Taiju, desperation written clearly across his face.</strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome’s eyes had gone large.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-When we’re making a run for it, it’s got to be both of us together!”</strong>
</p>
<p>An almost-shiver ran across Taiju’s back at hearing those words again.</p>
<p>A few seats away from him Ryusui had closed his eyes and was gritting his teeth.</p>
<p>The weird contradiction of the time they’d spend in stone aside; Taiju and Senku were too young. This situation never should have happened.</p>
<p>And now… what he desired was a world where he would never see that expression on Senku’s-… on either of their faces again..!</p>
<p>It was irrelevant that they’d obviously gotten out of this.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju clenched his teeth, bowing his head. Then he turned to meet Senku’s eyes. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Yeah. I understand!”</strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo exhaled, some of his tension leaving…</p>
<p>Taiju though, his face hardened with an adamant resolve. He knew… they <em>all</em> knew…</p>
<p>In this stone world… Senku was in fact more valuable than him. Maybe more valuable than anyone… But that didn’t matter because either way… Senku would never accept that.</p>
<p>And Taiju had accepted that in his turn. He’d be there to protect his friend instead…</p>
<p>
  <strong>The scene switched to a modern riverbank with neatly cut grass. </strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome blinked at the sudden unfamiliar location.</p>
<p>
  <strong>A trio of high schoolers with nasty grins on their faces were busy kicking at some kind of scientific apparatus. A kid Senku wearing a small white scientists coat looked hilariously startled and riled up at the sight. </strong>
</p>
<p>Even with the situation Senku and Taiju were still in, there were some choked up laughs.</p>
<p>Had there really never been a time that Senku wasn’t playing around with ridiculously advanced science..?</p>
<p>
  <strong>Before he could do anything however, a young Taiju came charging onto the scene. </strong>
</p>
<p>An uncharacteristically soft “Oh.” drew Gen’s attention for a moment to the real Taiju, who was watching the screen with a depth of emotion.</p>
<p>
  <em>“This memory… is more than it seems…”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Older Senku could be heard letting out a chuckle as his younger self also went to try and stop the delinquents.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Besides, ever since back in elementary school you’ve never even punched anyone!”</strong>
</p>
<p>Nobody looked surprised.</p>
<p>
  <strong>The high schoolers attacked the kids. A couple of punches propelled the small Senku halfway across the riverbank but Taiju stood his ground with his arms crossed in front of his little body, blocking every one of the blows without giving an inch…</strong>
</p>
<p>It seemed there also hadn’t been a time when Taiju hadn’t tried to step in front of Senku and act as his shield…</p>
<p>Something like regret flashed through Tsukasa’s eyes.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju and Senku were running through the forest again, Taiju back in front with Yuzuriha in his arms.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-Your strength is endurance, not fighting.” </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku finished. </strong>
</p>
<p>Yes, that was Taiju. And that’s what suited the Kingdom of Science…</p>
<p>
  <strong>The forest continued. </strong>
</p>
<p>The situation was still just as deadly as before…</p>
<p>But somehow their flight didn’t feel as hopeless anymore.</p>
<p>“C’mon…” Chrome whispered, his fists clenched.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju spoke up.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Senku, if we can’t outrun them then… let’s take a chance…”</strong>
</p>
<p>Normally, any plan that included Senku-chan ‘taking a chance’ should be cause for despair and only ever used as a last resort. But… Gen had to agree that it was about time for one of those. It couldn’t be much longer now…</p>
<p>
  <strong>A large, somewhat familiar tree came into view…</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-I found him earlier…”</strong>
</p>
<p>Tsukasa’s focus intensified.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju and Senku raced towards it, Senku barely keeping up at this point. </strong>
</p>
<p>Taiju felt a flash of guilt run through him. That’s right. Waking up Tsukasa had been his idea…</p>
<p>But… Senku would call him a big oaf.</p>
<p>
  <em>”Blaming you would be completely illogical, idiot!”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Sitting at the base of the tree with roots and moss growing over him sat a familiar tall, muscular petrified man whose very long stone hair fell forward, mostly shadowing his face… </strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo’s tension returned with a vengeance but he kept his face still as a lake... It was a skill he’d honed in Tsukasa’s empire..</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-the strongest primate high-schooler, Shishio Tsukasa!”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>…the shadowed face wore a stone expression of intense concentration…</strong>
</p>
<p>At this point, Ryusui relaxed entirely an looked over at Tsukasa with a sharp, eager grin.</p>
<p>“So you’re going to be their very first revival, Tsukasa? I’m jealous!”</p>
<p>Tsukasa looked up and nodded, a bit puzzled.</p>
<p>That… had sounded far too positive. Ukyo snuck a glance, wondering for the first time how much Ryusui actually knew about the early days of the kingdom of science. About the Stone Wars…  </p>
<p>
  <em>“This could be a problem…”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Sorry Yuzuriha…”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju carefully placed her stone form against a nearby tree, radiating guilt.</strong>
</p>
<p>Their current Taiju also still looked a bit guilty.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-Right now what we need more than anything is someone with the power to fight.” </strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome intensely agreed. Escaping from lions always came first! Whatever the consequences, it was clear those would simply need to come later!</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-If we manage to win against the lions, I promise that next time…”</strong>
</p>
<p>Ryusui quirked a smile.  Yuzuriha had no need to worry. Taiju was the kind of man that would keep that promise!</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Never mind that,”</strong>
</p>
<p>But it seemed Senku had other priorities…</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku interrupted him, already in front of the statue. He grabbed the small jar of revival fluid from one of his pouches. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“So this is how it happened… Senku-chan.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-Let’s just pour it on him!”</strong>
</p>
<p>Gen’s eyes were steady as he watched the screen. He had been curious about it for a long time… Just how Senku had ended up reviving someone like Tsukasa-chan while he and Taiju were in such a vulnerable position. It was unlike him. Senku might seem careless but he tended to be very aware of the risks he took…</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku poured the liquid over the top of the statue’s head, causing small yellow rivers to flow down the stone face.</strong>
</p>
<p>There was a new kind of tension in the room.</p>
<p>Almost all of them knew… this moment was at least as monumental to the history of the stone world as Taiju’s awakening, likely more so, and the consequences would echo outwards to touch every single one of them…</p>
<p>So for now… Ukyo, Gen, Chrome, Ryusui and Taiju watched with anticipation…</p>
<p>
  <strong>An aggressive growl sounded from very close by. </strong>
</p>
<p>Tsukasa’s fist clenched, even though he already knew...</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku and Taiju hastily stopped paying attention to the statue and turned around but the pride of five approaching lions had already cut off any path they could have taken to escape... </strong>
</p>
<p>He wouldn’t let them die like this. Not Taiju, Nor… <em>Senku.</em></p>
<p>Not even at the height of their war would he have allowed this to happen…</p>
<p>
  <strong>“No! We’re surrounded!”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Yelled Taiju. </strong>
</p>
<p>But the revival process wasn’t instantaneous…</p>
<p> <strong>Him and Senku now stood with their backs to the tree. The savage cats were closing in on them. Just a few meters more and  they would be in leaping range... </strong></p>
<p>Taiju had stiffened in his seat. Memories coming to him vividly… how it’d felt; standing with his back against a wall… feeling Senku next to him and watching lions… actual lions that wanted to maul them… advance closer and closer…</p>
<p>
  <strong>The stone face of the statue behind them didn’t budge.</strong>
</p>
<p>And it had been so very close…</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku raised his crude hand axe in front of him…</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“They’re coming!”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju raised his fists, his stance making him seem ready to fight but his and Senku’s shuddering breaths were more honest. </strong>
</p>
<p> Ukyo felt cold as their every breath echoed in his ears...</p>
<p>He didn’t want to see anyone die. In the kingdom of science, being violently and painfully killed by predators was not something they actively feared. They had strength in numbers and knew when to move in groups. Even early on in Tsukasa’s empire that had been true. They had that privilege. </p>
<p>Senku and Taiju had no such thing… They were alone…</p>
<p>
  <strong>Both of their faces were full of dread as they stared at the approaching predators…</strong>
</p>
<p>The room seemed to brace itself.</p>
<p>
  <strong>A loud crack sounded behind them.</strong>
</p>
<p>The sound abruptly cut through the tension and, despite everything, Taiju couldn’t stop the beginning of a smile from dawning on his face.</p>
<p>
  <strong>A fissure opened in the statue, diagonally across the stone face. Two other large cracks formed immediately afterwards, one fracturing just below the first one and the other across the torso…</strong>
</p>
<p>Some of the tension finally left the group as they watched the stone crack.</p>
<p>As the process continued Chrome’s eyes unconsciously zeroed in on the locations of those cracks, but then he stilled…</p>
<p>
  <strong>Behind the stone shell, a deep brown eye with long lashes slowly opened… The gaze had a weight to it. </strong>
</p>
<p>The air felt charged.</p>
<p>Ukyo’s eyes were shadowed below his cap, even as Ryusui’s grin widened in excitement.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju immediately turned towards him.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Sorry! Waking up after thousands of years you probably have no idea what is going on…”</strong>
</p>
<p>Gen smiled a humorless smile. That aside… If the one revived had been anyone other than Tsukasa-chan… they would only have been offering the lions additional prey.</p>
<p>
  <strong>A deep calm voice asked:</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“What’s the situation?”</strong>
</p>
<p>The group stilled.</p>
<p>The phrase seemed strangely familiar and it tickled Chrome’s mind, but the situation was too tense for him to pay it much mind.</p>
<p>Tsukasa’s gaze was now almost a mirror-image to the one on the screen.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku startled and turned his head. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>He stood frozen for a second while his widened red eyes took in the man behind him with a piercing glance. </strong>
</p>
<p>Gen watched Senku’s sharp, too perceptive eyes take the measure of the man he’d just awakened in mere seconds. Even this early on, before he started growing into the leader he was going to be, it seemed his razor-sharp assessment of a situation and its most dangerous variables already existed…</p>
<p>
  <strong>Then Senku resolutely directed his eyes back in front of him, speaking in a clear voice:</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Your whole body is encased in stone. Lions from your nine o’clock to your two!”</strong>
</p>
<p>Gen wasn’t surprised. This was the man Gen had dared to enter a war with after all…</p>
<p>
  <strong>The lions tread a bit closer and the man replied, still as calm and collected as before:</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Okay.”</strong>
</p>
<p>A charge ran through the group.</p>
<p>Senku and Tsukasa had only needed the bare minimum of words and, for this moment, had an instant understanding.</p>
<p>
  <strong>The stone figure trembled with a loud cracking sound, the shell starting to show slight fractures all over its surface.</strong>
</p>
<p>Knowing the basics of their history… Gen. Ukyo. Chrome… none of them had expected this...</p>
<p>
  <strong>The man inside the shell tensed his muscles, the fissuring effect on the stone spreading across his body.</strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo shivered unnoticeably.</p>
<p>
  <strong>The lions chose this moment to attack…</strong>
</p>
<p>Ryusui grinned wildly, almost trembling with excitement, even while Chrome ‘s deeply ingrained caution for the large cats reared its head.</p>
<p>He yelled: “Watch out!”</p>
<p>
  <strong>And a tall, powerfully build young man burst out of the shell, simultaneously launching the pieces of rock that formerly encased him at the attacking lions. </strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome’s worries instantly came to an abrupt end.</p>
<p>
  <strong>The spray of rock fragments hit the animals hard and they roared in pain. Taiju and Senku however were also in range.</strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo’s eyes were wide. He immediately noticed. Taiju would likely be okay but Senku wouldn’t escape something like this unscathed...</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku had already dropped to the ground and held himself prostrate, narrowly avoiding being hit. *5*</strong>
</p>
<p>That was a relief.</p>
<p>The scary thing was… Tsukasa and Senku were already showing signs of being on the same wavelength... After a single exchange.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju meanwhile wasn’t prepared at all and several rocks hit him in the back. </strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome winced slightly.</p>
<p>
  <strong>The newly awakened young man dashed forward with an expression of pure focus on his androgynous face, his exposed body seemingly built out of pure rippling muscle. As he moved he raised one of his fists..</strong>
</p>
<p>Ryusui and Chrome stared, one in delight and the other just astonished.</p>
<p>Neither had ever been part of the Empire of Might and Chrome, as part of the science team, had only ever been on the same battlefield as Tsukasa once... Back then he’d had his own role to fulfill and picked his way through the chaos, completely ignoring the fights going on around him except to evade them.</p>
<p>
  <strong>The punch hit the male lion like a cannonball.</strong>
</p>
<p>“WHA-..!”</p>
<p>Chrome gaped.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku and Taiju gasped in shock as the lion was hurled into a tree. Leaves drifted down.</strong>
</p>
<p>Even Gen and Ukyo’s eyes were slightly wide at the display of overwhelming power.</p>
<p>
  <strong>The one responsible was not showing the slightest amount of strain after the feat. His crack-marked eyes gaining a ferocious gleam as he glared down at the rest of the pride.</strong>
</p>
<p>Gen’s narrow eyes sharpened...</p>
<p>
  <strong>The remaining lionesses slowly edged backwards, trembling, and then finally turned around to run away entirely, leaving the three humans and the body of the male lion behind. </strong>
</p>
<p>Taiju slumped in his seat, relieved, and like it was a sign, the others also let go of their remaining tension.</p>
<p>It was over…</p>
<p>
  <strong>The naked fighter, having ended up in between the lions and the two teens, started slowly approaching the dead animal. He spoke with a soft, clear voice.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“You can explain the details of the situation to me in time... Yes…”</strong>
</p>
<p>They all just took a moment… Watching Tsukasa’s reaction to his revival.</p>
<p>
  <strong>He was standing tall now, at least a head taller than Taiju, and his long brown hair billowed in the breeze, the thick locks adorned by small pieces of leftover petrification near the ends.</strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome felt a bit awkward about the nakedness…</p>
<p>
  <strong>“But I promise you this one thing… you two will never be visited by danger again…”</strong>
</p>
<p>Tsukasa could feel the reactions across the room, still not saying  anything. He’d remade this promise to Senku and had no intention of ever breaking it again.</p>
<p>Even if that couldn’t take away the fact that, once upon a time… he’d broken it in maybe the cruelest way…   </p>
<p>
  <strong>He turned to them. His face, marked by two deep diagonal cracks, held a gentle expression.</strong>
</p>
<p>Gen’s reaction though, had been almost invisible... While his expression didn’t change, for just a second, a dark and ruthless anger had flashed through his eyes.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Because from now on… I will do the fighting.”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>He smiled at them.</strong>
</p>
<p>This was Tsukasa at his finest. Soft spoken and charismatic… and completely unreadable even while he’d only just woken up and found himself thousands of years in the future.</p>
<p>Gen smiled back at the screen with a chilling smile that wasn’t truly a smile at all.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“WHOOOOOOOOOOAAAH!!!”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju cheered, throwing his arms into the air.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“This is amazing Senku! Humanity now has brains, endurance and fighting power… The three musketeers have been assembled!”</strong>
</p>
<p>Ryusui grinned widely. “True, an amazing trio has just been created!”</p>
<p>If he noticed anyone else react to his statement he didn’t let it show but Ukyo sought Gen’s eyes to exchange glances. They’d have to talk to him… <em>Soon</em>.</p>
<p>
  <strong>The man knelt down by the downed lion.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku chuckled nervously.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“I suppose so but… however you look at it this Shishio guy is way too strong!”</strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome tilted his head at that. Even when he’d first come to Ishigami Village, Senku had never had a problem with ridiculously strong people like Kohoku or Magma. Tsukasa wasn’t an enemy yet, so why..?</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju looked at him in surprise.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Is being too strong a bad thing? Doesn’t that make him more reliable?!”</strong>
</p>
<p>Ryusui got a calculating glint in his eyes.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku smirked and raised a finger.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Then what if he turned out to be an evil bureaucrat with insatiable greed?”</strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo sweat dropped and Gen deflated a bit to look sheepish. Well, Tsukasa-chan certainly wasn’t that but…</p>
<p>
  <strong>The topic of their conversation was checking over the corpse of the lion.</strong>
</p>
<p>Were they seriously talking about this this close to him?</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-He’s overpowered enough to beat down a lion with his bare hands. In this world with no guns, he’s ten billion percent unstoppable.”</strong>
</p>
<p>They all let those words run through their minds…</p>
<p>Even while Senku seemed mostly relaxed, just speaking theoretically, Gen could feel the tension in his words.</p>
<p>
  <em>“Senku-chan had seen how dangerous Tsukasa could be from the beginning…”</em>
</p>
<p>Gen may have had a similar realization when he’d been first revived but… there had been what he’d been revived <em>for</em>…</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju looked nonplussed.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>A blurry image popped up of the longhaired man sitting on a throne surrounded by females with Yuzuriha nearby. </em> </strong>
</p>
<p>The serious atmosphere popped like a balloon. Tsukasa looking like he wasn’t sure what he was seeing.</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>He purred:</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> <em>“Come hither, Yuzuriha.”</em> </strong>
</p>
<p>Everyone stared while Taiju looked at the screen in horror…</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju came back to reality with Senku calmly smiling beside him. He shook his head wildly...</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“That’s no good! That can’t happen!”</strong>
</p>
<p>Current Taiju yelled in a very similar way: “That never happened! I didn’t think that!”</p>
<p>He was beat red and Chrome hastily responded: “Yeah, that never happened! And if it did we certainly never saw anything like it!” He definitely sounded determined.</p>
<p>The others sweat dropped but… they did promise during the first episode…</p>
<p>Ukyo, Gen and Tsukasa smiled and Ryusui grinned and grandly snapped his fingers. “Yeah, no need to worry Taiju. Nothing at all happened!”</p>
<p>
  <strong>Then the voice of the newcomer interjected.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Sorry, but would you mind lending me some tools to cut meat with?”</strong>
</p>
<p>Everyone turned back to the screen, Taiju’s head still steaming.</p>
<p>
  <strong>The two younger teens looked at him. He softly touched the lion’s pelt.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“A knife… or even just a stone tool, if that’s all we have.”</strong>
</p>
<p>Ukyo nodded. The entire empire had known… Tsukasa never let anything go to waste.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju looked uncertain.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“You’re going to eat the lion? You can eat lion?!”</strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome tilted his head.</p>
<p>
  <em>“Why would Taiju think you couldn’t eat lion?”</em>
</p>
<p>Meat was meat after all… Gen had that weird reaction when Kohaku informed him she’d eaten rats before too… Senku never reacted like that. Though than again…</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku, who had just been observing, smirked. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“It isn’t poisonous. Although it is tough and reeks of ammonia, not to mention it tastes terrible.”</strong>
</p>
<p>Tsukasa found himself vaguely curious, not having really paid attention to the byplay of the two younger teen’s he’d only barely met back then. When would Senku have eaten lion?</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju Turned back to him.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“You’ve eaten it before, Senku?!”</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“When I went to Africa to research Ebola.”</strong>
</p>
<p>That… was certainly an interesting answer.</p>
<p>
  <strong>“What kind of high-schooler are you?!”</strong>
</p>
<p>Gen’s sly smile twitched. “Seconded. What were you doing during high school, seriously Senku-chan?”</p>
<p>It was a rhetorical question, but Taiju answered anyway, musing: “Now that I think about it… me and Senku had only been in High School for a couple of months… So it might have been middle school?”</p>
<p>They all stared at him for a couple of seconds…</p>
<p>Chrome’s eyes were wide as he figured out what was going on. He hadn’t paid that much attention to the world map yet… the globe Yuzuriha and Kaseki had built. But he still knew that Afrika was mad far away!</p>
<p>
  <em>“How did he get there?!”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>The longhaired young man looked down. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Even if it was to protect us, I did kill it with my own hands… Yes…”</strong>
</p>
<p>Chrome focused back on the screen. He’d check with Senku later!</p>
<p>
  <strong>He had a faraway look in his eyes. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-By using every part of it, I want to express my gratitude to the circle of life… That’s all…”</strong>
</p>
<p>Ryusui listened with a thoughtfully curious look on his face. He liked Tsukasa, but didn’t actually know that much about him…</p>
<p>
  <strong>Taiju yelled, looking extremely pumped:</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“THAT’S SO ADMIRABLE!”</strong>
</p>
<p>Taiju smiled steadily. He still thought so.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku slowly approached their third revived…</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“-Aren’t you glad, Senku? He isn’t an evil bureaucrat! He’s a super good guy!”</strong>
</p>
<p>That… caused the smile to disappear.</p>
<p>Ukyo’s sharp eyes meanwhile followed every step Senku took.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku handed over a stone knife and then stood close by, back facing the fighter as he lifted the sharp tool.</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“I hope so…”</strong>
</p>
<p>An unknown thrill ran through the room.</p>
<p>Tsukasa’s eyes were dark. Back then, he didn’t know him well enough to tell yet, but now he did… Senku was too aware of his own actions not to know what he’d just done. The younger teenager had just handed him a weapon while he was cautious of him, and then turned away… leaving himself completely vulnerable...</p>
<p>
  <strong>Senku turned back slightly, a small smirk curling his lips. </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>“Well, I don’t have one millimeter of interest in stuff like gratitude… but I completely agree with not wasting meat. “</strong>
</p>
<p>That was Senku...</p>
<p>Ryusui grinned softly in response. Senku was talking about more than just the meat after all… when he mentioned not being interested in ‘gratitude’. Back when he’d been revived, Ryusui had immediately started out offering extravagant sums of money as thanks... But once it became clear he was no longer in a position to do that, any talk of ‘debts’ had never been brought up again.  </p>
<p>Senku wasn’t interested in such a dynamic, not then and not now… and they all knew it.</p>
<p>Several private smiles lit up faces in the room.</p>
<p>
  <strong>The kneeling man had shut his eyes. Then they opened and the knife swung down with a flash…</strong>
</p>
<p>That final sound… of the knife cutting through muscles and sinew… was a bit foreboding though…</p>
<p>
  <strong>[Break – 5:00]</strong>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p><strong>Transcript Notes: </strong><br/><em>*1* As a side note; I don’t like the ‘official’ Viz manga translations since they tend to play fast and loose with details (and often have a tone that doesn’t really fit the characters). The way I translate this (and in the manga translations I favor) Senku tested the miracle fluid on a single broken statue that he put back together first just in case. The Anime translation can be taken either way and the Viz manga translation says he tested it on multiple statues and pieces of stone. Just a warning if you’re attached to the official VIZ translation. </em> </p>
<p>  <em>*2* I’m blatantly cutting any (shonen-level) hentai images out of this transcript because I’m ace and I don’t like them! Yes, I’m a terrible person for going off script like that! It’s my transcript. When you write one you’ll get to decide!</em></p>
<p>   <em>*3* My suspension of disbelief had trouble with Taiju and Senku falling down a vertical cliff side and magically surviving it because of some vines in a tree. So in my version, a large section of that cliff was a steep slope instead. Still very painful to fall/roll down and the lions wouldn’t want to follow them that way, but survivable.</em></p>
<p>  <em>*4* I altered the dialogue to deal with the fact that Taiju and Senku should realistically be able to have their dramatic moment without the lions reaching and eating them. </em></p>
<p>  <em>*5* The anime didn’t show it but in the manga this is how Senku avoided being hit (a good thing since he isn’t as sturdy as Taiju).</em></p>
<hr/>
<p> <br/><strong>AN: </strong> If I could fit Byakuya into this story and have him watch with the group I would… I halfway wanna do a small spinoff with him and the other astronauts watching… Except that it DEFINITELY wouldn’t stay small!</p>
<p>That aside, unfortunately my proofreader still needed a break so this chapter took me a lot longer than usual. Having a 2nd opinion while I write is INCREDIBLY helpful, and without it just took me a lot longer to figure things out. They might be back soon though! Still, I wanted to ask since everyone has RL things to do that might get in the way; is anyone else interested in doing some proofreading for me every once in a while? If you feel like it and think you could do a good job, please let me know! </p>
<p>Honestly... I didn't quite manage to figure everything out and posted the chapter before I was truly ready… Then I felt bad about it and ended up rewriting and editing large parts of the second half of the chapter once my brain no longer felt like mush! ;) Just a heads up that this chapter changed quite a bit about 5 days after I first posted it!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Intermission - Ryusui</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ukyo talks to Ryusui...</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>(last edited: 19-01-2021)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>[Break 4:05]</strong>
</p>
<p>“-and that’s it…”</p>
<p>Ukyo’s quiet voice finished his recount of the phone call with Senku. The tree who hadn’t been there, Gen, Ryusui and Taiju, were quiet for a moment.</p>
<p>Taiju, of course, broke the silence first:</p>
<p>“But-..!“</p>
<p>As a lively, and somewhat confused, discussion got started, the world’s greediest man leaned back in his chair, seemingly relaxed and paying little attention to the words filling the room. Instead, his eyes drifted to look for one reaction in particular… Gen was cheerfully chatting along, looking happy-go-lucky as usual. Ryusui watched for a moment and grinned. He wasn’t fooled. Senku’s reasoning was as expected of him but that aside… there was the half-episode they’d just watched to consider. Their mentalist had likely gotten a far deeper read into those events than him or indeed any of the others. It came with Asagiri Gen’s area of expertise. Still… Ryusui’s eyes glinted. That didn’t mean <em>he</em> hadn’t gotten a read of his own...</p>
<p>Ryusui might or might not be a natural leader. It wasn’t something he had ever seriously considered as important… it didn’t matter either way. As the son and heir of the Nanami family, leadership was always going to be an integral part of his life. In order to obtain his desires, taking charge and pressing forward was simply an everyday occurrence.  </p>
<p>Maybe this would have been the case even if he’d been born into a different family but he was <em>Nanami</em> Ryusui. His place in society came with influence and he’d never failed to take full advantage of that!</p>
<p>That it had also come with other things was just a fact of life. Like the droning voices that filled the mansions where he was brought up, insisting that they would <em>instruct</em> him on the meaning of leadership…</p>
<p>
  <em>“Abstain from expressing emotions...” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Never lose your head or indulge in passions...”</em>
</p>
<p>He almost snorted.</p>
<p>None of it had the power to move him. Why would anyone follow a leader like that?</p>
<p>Ryusui had reinvented the concept of leadership, of kingcraft, and then had made it his own. Whether he himself was actually the one leading was of no consequence… The facets of leadership didn’t escape his notice when he came across them.</p>
<p>So when he’d woken up in this new world, nobody had needed to tell him that the strange young man with the eye-catching hair, too-calculating eyes and the most ragged clothes out of everyone present was the one running the operation.</p>
<p>And now… He grinned. Watching these episodes, the building blocks were becoming clear. Senku wasn’t actively trying to lead but… even in this younger, not quite as sharp-eyed version of their friend, the leader he’d soon become was already very much shining through<em>. </em></p>
<p>He thought back to the chase by the lions and his eyes darkened for a moment, anger briefly flaring up in his chest. Ryusui <em>despised</em> the feeling of helplessness.</p>
<p>His eyes drifted to the side of the table furthest away from him.</p>
<p>And then there was the man they had just woken up, in <em>both</em> timelines…</p>
<p>A smirk came back to his face. Shishio Tsukasa, the ‘strongest primate high schooler’ exuded an aura of quiet intensity.  Ryusui only knew a limited amount about him and his history but… his presence alone made it evident that he <em>wasn’t just anyone</em>.</p>
<p>For him to have been the first one they revived…</p>
<p>Ryusui grinned fiercely, eyes momentarily following Tsukasa as he moved from his seat in the direction of the door, noticing in passing that by now, all of the others had left their own seats as well.</p>
<p>Really… Ryusui desired everyone… but he’d never met as many fascinating individuals as he had ever since he’d awakened thousands of years away from whence he started.</p>
<p>Smirking, the Nanami heir stretched out his own legs and then also went to stand up, leaving his chair. Off to the side, Taiju and Chrome were entangled in a loud conversation, apparently discussing ways Chrome had thought up that might have helped with escaping from the lions. The young sciencer looked troubled and determined as he attempted to come up with options and Gen stood nearby, idly listening in.</p>
<p>With another smirk, Ryusui just started turning towards them when a quiet voice sounded behind him, speaking his name.</p>
<p>“Ryusui...”</p>
<p>He stopped and his eyes sharpened. There was an urgency behind that voice and he knew the speaker too well to miss it.</p>
<p>A quick glance informed him that Gen was positioning himself to keep Taiju and Chrome’s attention away, firmly on their own conversation while Tsukasa wasn’t in the room anymore.</p>
<p>When he turned again, Saionji Ukyo wasn’t looking at him… his face instead directed towards the screen where the numbers were still a few minutes off from reaching zero…</p>
<p>
  <strong>[Break 3:02]</strong>
</p>
<p>Perhaps noticing he had Ryusui’s attention, their Sonar Operator spoke again:</p>
<p>“There is something I need to tell you before we continue watching… But first I need to confirm...”</p>
<p>He turned towards Ryusui, clear green eyes filled with a cold determination. “-The year before you were de-petrified… how much do you know about what happened back then? About the early days of the kingdom of science..?”</p>
<p>There was a short silence and then Ryusui chuckled.</p>
<p>“Well now, THAT…- ” he said idly. “-is a period I’ve yet to attain a solid view of… People mention it in passing here and there but beyond that... ”</p>
<p>The look in Ryusui’s eyes contradicted his careless tone. He didn’t miss that Ukyo didn’t seem surprised at all by how little people talked about such an important time to the kingdom of science.</p>
<p>While he hadn’t felt the need to let it show… as they got further into the current episode Ryusui hadn’t been blind to the multiple moments of silent, unexplained tension that spiked amongst his companions. Sometimes even in response to something he himself had said. Ryusui may be many things but he wasn’t a fool and the reason wasn’t hard to guess…. After all…. excluding Francois, in the entire kingdom he had been the last one to be revived…</p>
<p>“From the bits and pieces I gathered…” He started slowly, eyes moving to the door where their mightiest member had temporarily left… “Tsukasa, at one point, lead his own camp separate from Senku and the kingdom of science… There was some kind of conflict and once they reconciled, Hyouga attacked Tsukasa... When it became clear how heavily wounded he was, the decision was made to look for the source of the petrification…”  </p>
<p>Ryusui met Ukyo’s eyes squarely and levelly.</p>
<p>“Am I wrong?”</p>
<p>A long moment passed. Then…Ukyo bowed his head.</p>
<p>“The stone wars…” He stated tonelessly, lips twisting in a faint, melancholy smile. “That’s what we called the clash between the Empire of Might and the Kingdom of Science… In the old world it likely wouldn’t even have been seen as more than a skirmish but...”</p>
<p>Ryusui felt his face turn stony and expressionless. Ukyo didn’t notice.</p>
<p>“-Except for those who were there, none of us know exactly how the split happened.” He continued, eyes hidden beneath his cap. “But at one time… Tsukasa and everyone that was told about how he’d come to be revived believed that Senku<em>-…”</em></p>
<p>Ryusui’s hand clasped Ukyo’s tense shoulder, stopping him.</p>
<p>The archer’s hands had unconsciously clenched into fists.</p>
<p>“Don’t...Enough.” Ryusui commanded calmly, his face utterly serious. Then… something almost soft entered his voice. “There is no need to tell me this. As your friend, I don’t want to see you force yourself. That’s my desire! And besides…” he grinned sharply, a glow appearing in his eyes.</p>
<p>“As the world’s greediest man..!” he snapped his fingers and pointed them at Ukyo. “-I will accept nothing less than to see the history of the Kingdom of Science first-hand!”</p>
<p>He laughed confidently. “Also, someone needs to look at this dastardly footage with fresh eyes! You all already ought to know what happened, or at the very least the gist of it, so then… that person can only be me! “</p>
<p>Ukyo blinked once, twice, three times at that declaration and then… an involuntary smile snuck its way onto his face.</p>
<p>He laughed softly and Ryusui grinned back, not the slightest bit of hesitation in his decision.</p>
<p>On the other side of the room, Gen also smiled softly and yielded. This was apparently how it was going to be.</p>
<p>The sound of the door opening drew their attention and broke through the semblance of privacy that had surrounded their exchange. Tsukasa re-entered the room and Ryusui smirked. It looked like it was about time to get started again.</p>
<p>A glance at the timer only confirmed that.</p>
<p>
  <strong>[Break 0:23]</strong>
</p>
<p>Ryusui was already moving to take his seat again while Ukyo stared at the screen. He hadn’t thought that so little time was left.</p>
<p>A yelp of “That’s bad!” came from Chrome and while everyone was hurrying for their own seats Ryusui took this moment to turn one more thing over in his head. His eyes found Tsukasa on the other end of the table, already in his seat and focused on the screen... </p>
<p>Tsukasa had, almost from the moment of his second awakening, been unofficially in command of the warriors of the kingdom of science and their training.</p>
<p>The curious heaviness constantly present between Tsukasa and the others wasn’t previously a priority. Ryusui knew people and, his past as a professional fighter aside, the man that Senku had put so much effort into saving didn’t seem like a violent person. But…</p>
<p>
  <em>“-Everyone that was told about how he’d come to be revived believed that Senku…”</em>
</p>
<p>He’d noticed straight away. Here in the stone world, everyone’s desires were turned up to the max. This made it abundantly clear what kind of gems Ryusui was surrounded by and he loved it! But… he was also not unaware of the adverse effects this could have...</p>
<p>The rushing had died down and on his right side everyone was once again back in their previous seats. Ukyo was in the process of sitting back down at the end of the table on Ryusui’s left. Their eyes met and no words needed to be said.</p>
<p>The episode was going to continue and for the first time Ryusui felt a measure of caution.</p>
<p>If Ukyo’s words had left him with anything it was with a sense of premonition.</p>
<p>He’d still acquire all the knowledge this ‘documentary’ could give him. He desired it and, one day, people besides him would need him to know it but…</p>
<p>The captain of the Perseus grinned as he faced the feeling of foreboding inside him.</p>
<p>
  <em>“I guess we’ll see..!”</em>
</p>
<p>And the light in Nanami Ryusui’s challenging eyes was focused back on the screen…</p>
<p>
  <strong>[Break 0:01]</strong>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>AN: Sorry this took a while. I had a bit of a difficult summer and episode 4 turned out to be a monster to transcribe.<br/>I’d decided that this chapter would be from Ryusui’s pov a while ago but when I tried getting into his mindset I had some real trouble. This was by far the most difficult character POV I’ve ever tried to write. (Senku, Chrome and Gen are all so much easier!) And with the conversation with Ukyo I must have gotten stuck at least every other line! At this point I have absolutely no clue if it's actually any good but I hope you guys enjoy the way this turned out anyway. ;) </p>
<p>Btw, thanks for all the awesome reviews. They really helped keep my spirits up!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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